Spoelstra on lesson plan: ‘ Context, meaning and consequences’

PHILADELPHIA — To Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra there is idle time and there are minutes that matter.

So while lottery picks pile up playing time and points for perennial losers, Spoelstra sees value in recent opportunities afforded to his supporting players amid the Heat’s personnel shortages due to injury and illness.

“We’ve always said this,” Spoelstra said, “that there’s no better player development for a young player than playing in competitive games with context, meaning and consequences.

“If you’re a young player and you’re just being gifted minutes on a non- playoff team, I’m not sure how much better those young players get, as compared to this kind of situation. Every possession matters, every detail matters, and then you’re expected to produce and contribute to winning basketball. That has a 10- X, I think, impact.”

So, no, Omer Yurtseven and KZ Okpala were not force fed minutes earlier in the season simply because of untapped potential.

But now, with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Markieff Morris and Caleb Martin not available, the minutes are there.

Minutes that have mattered.

“I mean, it’s I think amazing for development, and at the same time, I want to win every single possession, every single play,” Yurtseven of his uptick in recent minutes, as the Heat turned their attention to Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. “And when bad plays happen, and when you gamble or overcommit or overhelp, those are the ones that hurt, and those are the learning moments.

“And, of course you get the good and the bad. But all of it, just playing, and especially in those critical moments and those big shots, the big plays, the big possessions, those add up even more.”

When Pat Riley crafted a win- now roster in the offseason, one loaded with 30- somethings, veterans such as Kyle Lowry and

P. J. Tucker expected to be almost solely surrounded by polished players. Instead, kid stuff has become necessity.

“It’s different,” Tucker said. “I’ve been on mostly teams with no young guys. So we’ve got a few. But it’s cool, though. Those guys are super energetic, eyes wide open, just ready to learn and do whatever it takes and getting a chance to play.

“So I think that’s super cool. It’s different. It is different. With Jimmy and Bam out, next- guy- up mentality. Guys have to step up and play and have been having real good games.”

The process began earlier this season, when Gabe Vincent and Max Strus found themselves as emergency fill- ins. Now they are accepted as valued rotation players.

Then, as the injuries mounted, Spoelstra had to dig even deeper.

“Just continue to motivate them and say, ‘ Listen, keep the positivity,’ “Lowry said. “The one thing about our leadership is experience rules. When you’ve got a lot of experience, that kind of capitalizes on where you get better.

“So these guys are getting really good experience right now by playing and getting repetitions up. So it helps our team long term that these guys will have these reps.”

That’s not to say the situation, particularly with Yurtseven and Okpala, couldn’t change at a moment’s notice, with Martin expected out of health- and- safety protocols next week, and Butler ( tailbone), Morris ( neck) and Adebayo ( thumb) eventually to regain their health.

For, now, though, the lessons are coming at speed, with stakes.

“Every time the ball stops,” Yurtseven said, “I keep an ear out, keep an eye out for Kyle, because he sees the game at a different pace, different perspective with all the experience that he has.

“Same with P. J., especially on defense, P. J.’ s presence is impeccable, as well as Kyle’s offensive presence. They both lead on both ends of the floor. It’s just about keeping an eye out, keeping an ear out to see what they want, see what they want to get to.”