Spoelstra says Nunn at the ready
Even before Victor Oladipo made a hard left turn into the Miami Heat locker room during the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers with a knee injury, coach Erik Spoelstra warned not to forget about an element that could return to the backcourt mix.
While it didn’t happen after Oladipo checked out Thursday, Spoelstra said he is confident that Kendrick Nunn could be reinserted into the mix at any point, as the Heat next turn their attention to a four-game trip that opens Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
“We talked,” Spoelstra said, “and put together a plan for him to stay ready. He does keep himself ready. He does have the mental toughness to be ready for the next opportunity.”
Nunn last played in the March
26 road loss to the Charlotte Hornets, when he sprained his right ankle. He did not dress the following two games due to the injury, but since has been held out by Spoelstra by “coach’s decision” the past four games.
That idle time came after Nunn had started the previous 24 games.
Even ahead of Oladipo’s injury,
Spoelstra forecast what seemingly now is at hand.
“And it always happens,” Spoelstra said. “Unpredictable things happen, and he’s a great worker. And he hasn’t stopped doing that, because of this, and that’s why he’ll be ready.”
Through it all, Nunn, runner-up to Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant for NBA Rookie of the Year last season, ranks fourth on the team in points per game, behind only Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, and ahead of Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson.
Road ahead
Butler said there remain high hopes for the road ahead.
“We just got to win, try to get ’em all,” he said. “It really shows who we are if we can get these games on the road. We’re capable
day, he hoped to see more out of the group.
“I want our standard to be what I want our identity to be, so yes, there were positive moments. Yes, there was a positive response,” said Norvell. “But you know, we want to be consistent and the only way you get consistent is to practice consistency.
“It’s better than probably a majority of the things we’ve done up to this point this past year, but for our standard the expectation is a lot better.”
FSU suffered from not having a complete spring camp last season after the school shuttered campus due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Without the luxury of spring and summer workouts, the Seminoles looked nothing like a perennial powerhouse in Norvell’s first season.
But the players embraced the offseason conditioning program and it’s paying dividends this spring.
“Anytime you go out there and practice, improvement has to show up,” added Norvell. “Our daily approach, our daily objective is to get better. To do that, you’ve got to give all that you have.
“For most spring ball, I’ve seen that show up in good situations and in bad. Our guys are developing that mentality thing today.”
Spring game format set: The Seminoles will conclude spring camp with their annual Garnet and Gold spring game Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the kickoff set for 5.
“This year, we’re going to keep it offense versus defense through two quarters,” Norvell said of the game’s format. “We have some injuries and we’re a little thin at some positions, which would make it extremely challenging to break up into two teams.
“We’re going to play it for the first half and then we’re going to wrap it up with a grand finale with a couple of guest coaches that are going to come in and be a part of adding a competitive edge to the end of it.” The game will air on the ACC Network. “I think it’ll be a great experience for our guys and all the Seminoles family to be able to come and pack into Doak Campbell and see our guys and the growth we’ve had,” added Norvell.
Shannon a perfect fit: FSU brought on former UCF defensive coordinator Randy Shannon as a senior defensive analyst this week, a move Norvell said provides the Seminoles with an experienced coach who can provide an outsider perspective to the program.
“Coach Shannon is a coach I have a tremendous amount of respect for,” said Norvell. “Having an opportunity to get him here as an analyst, to be able to work with our coaches and to be able to have a different perspective in all aspects, you’re excited about what he brings to our staff.
“We talk about the fit, we talk about what we’re looking for, whether it’s in recruiting or hiring coaches, and Randy Shannon is an incredible fit for our staff.”
While Norvell didn’t have a personal connection to Shannon, he was more than aware of his body of work having faced his defenses several times during his time at Memphis.
“We have competed against each other and that probably helped contribute to the respect I have for him in all aspects,” added Norvell.