Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Prospect Cain starstruck, but not out of his league
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Among the most endearing aspects of the Miami Heat’s preseason is the kid stuff.
For 23-year-old prospect Jamal Cain, that meant living the dream amid his 15-point, 11-rebound performance in Thursday night’s 109-80 exhibition victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
What made those numbers all the more impressive by the undrafted rookie out of Oakland University was that he did it while starstruck, admitted awed by the opportunity to play against Kevin Durant.
“I’ve been watching him my whole life,” said Cain, who was 8 when Durant began his NBA career with the Seattle SuperSonics. “He’s been my favorite player since I’ve been around the game of basketball. So just having the opportunity to play against him is unbelievable.
“I actually talked to my mom about it too. She knew about my love and my passion I have for KD. So it’s an opportunity. I’m just blessed.”
And still, the athletic 6-foot-7 wing stood toe to toe, if not quite measuring up on a night Durant scored 22 in 26 minutes.
“It was just crazy,” said Cain, who is on a non-guaranteed rookie tryout contract. “I was just trying to like embrace the moment and play my heart out. That was my first goal. I still wanted to play hard. I still wanted to show him that I could play defense. But it still was an unbelievable moment.”
After, of course, introducing himself and telling Durant he was his idol.
“A hundred percent, yeah,” Cain said. “So when I walked up to him, I told him. He just patted me on the chest and was like, ‘Man, keep working. You’re supposed to be here.’ That’s basically how the conversation went.”
Heat center Bam Adebayo smiled and said such welcome-tothe-NBA moments are common, including when he first found himself across from Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.
“I was a Kobe fan growing up,” Adebayo said. “D-Wade was next. When he got traded back to Miami my rookie year, he was sitting in his locker and it was kind of like one of those moments.”
What Adebayo said was impressive about Cain is that he did not allow the Durant moment to overwhelm.
“He took the challenge one-onone, didn’t defer, didn’t back down,” Adebayo said. “That’s all you can ask for the young dude.”
Next up on Cain’s wish list? LeBron James.
“Probably ‘Bron, probably ‘Bron for sure. ‘Bron for sure,” Cain said with a smile.
Such a face-to-face would require Cain to make the regular-season roster. For now, he appears ticketed for time with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
But after thriving on both ends against Durant and the Nets, including five steals, there remains a chance that Cain follows in the footsteps of Kendrick Nunn as the next Heat breakthrough prospect out of Oakland University, after beginning his collegiate career with four seasons at Marquette.
“I feel like I’ve been doing that same stuff,” last season’s Horizon League Co-Player of the Year said. “It’s just I’m at a higher level, and now I get to showcase that at a higher level. I still defend. I still try to make open shots. I still try and get deflections. So I’m just at a higher level now and I can showcase that more.”
The impressions from the summer-league standout could get the Heat to rethink a roster that appeared set in place for the regular season.
“I mean, he has the work ethic, he has the character,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, as the Heat turned their attention to Friday night’s exhibition against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. “He was all about potential when we brought him into summer league. He’s raw, but you can see his athleticism, you can see his competitiveness, his activity, his multiple efforts. He’s really been honing that and trying to really fast track the schematic in how we play.
“So I’m sure his head is spinning, but he makes plays and makes you watch him — the offensive rebounds, the extra efforts, all that stuff. And his coachability makes you think that he’s just going to continue to improve rapidly.”