Heat are searching for their next summer league jewel
MIAMI— It began rather innocently last July, with a five-point performance in a July 2 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on the practice court of the OrlandoMagic.
By the end of the month, the Miami Heat recognized they had a keeper inRodney McGruder. By theendof the first month of the season, the Heat had their starting small forward for a rollercoaster journey to a 41-41 finish.
Now, a year later, the Heat are back at the Orlando Pro Summer League at the Amway Center, hoping to find their next McGruder from a mishmash of a roster that counts returning forwardOkaro White as the lone player with NBA experience.
It is, to say the least, an eclectic mix that assistant coach Chris Quinn will guide for five games in Orlando and then at least five more in the ensuing summer league in LasVegas.
There is the potential of lottery pick Bam Adebayo, the NBA line a geo fun drafted Pepper dine forward Lamond Murray Jr., the bulk of undrafted 6-foot-10 BYU center Eric Mika and undrafted 6-9 Mississippi power forward Sebastian Saiz, the undersized pluck of5-8un drafted Monmouth guard Justin Robinson, the winning pedigree of undrafted Virginia guard London Perrantes, and the local flavor of undrafted Central Florida guard Matt Williams and undrafted Colorado State guard Gian Clavell, a Hialeah Gardens High product.
“Camp has gone really well,” Quinn said Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena. “The three days have been highly competitive, a little different than some summer leagues.”
Much of the summer focus will be on Adebayo.
“He’s an athlete,” Quinn said. “He really moves his feet. The sky’s the limit, potentially, and he’s been as joy to be around. He’s soaked up everything we’ve told him and he’ll be a big part of what we do this summer, is developing him.
“Bam’s development will be an ongoing process, day by day, week by week, year by year.”
For the Heat, summer league long has been about turning unknowns into contributors, be it McGruder last summer orWillie Reed, Tyler Johnson, Ian Clark, Terrell Harris, Anthony Morrow or yes, even Quinn before that. Some have gotten away, but the developmental impetus has not waned.
“You see somebody like Okaro White, you see somebody like Chris Quinn, and the list goes on,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think players that come in there now are pretty well versed by their agents of guys that have come through our program that have not only made the team but have had an impact.
“And there you go again, that name, Rodney McGruder, who spent three summers with us getting cut, and showing the resilience and persistence to keep on coming back and banging on that door. We have countless examples for these guys to approach this the right way, which I expect they will.”
i win der man@ sun sentinel .com, Twitter @iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ ira.winderman