Second-round pick Okpala gains impetus in G League
Erik Spoelstra is keeping a close eye on Heat secondround pick KZ Okpala.
Okpala, who was sent Dec. 12 to play in the G League for the organization’s developmental affiliate, has shined with the Sioux Falls Skyforce recently. Entering Tuesday’s matchup against the Agua Caliente Clippers, the rookie forward has averaged 18.5 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 3-of-8 shooting on threes, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals over his past four games with the Skyforce.
This strong stretch comes after a slow start in the G League. Okpala, 20, averaged 7.5 points on 25.8 percent shooting, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in his first 10 games with the Skyforce.
The plan is for Okpala to continue to get game experience in the G League this season, even as he counts toward the Heat’s 15-man roster while on a standard contract.
“He has played about 15 games,” Spoelstra said of Okpala in advance of Tuesday’s game between the
Heat and Celtics at AmerianAirlines Arena. “[Skyforce coach Eric Glass] and I just talked [Saturday]. I want to see if we can get him 20 more [games]. We’ll still have him come back with us. But that is the most important thing right now.
“I also, when I call EG, don’t want to get into the evaluation period yet with him. My evaluation period is more about his work behind the scenes. Putting in extra time, getting in the training room, getting in the weight room, getting in extra work, the practices, all the reps. He just needs a ton of this to catch up from the summer, and he is. I don’t see it as a coincidence that he has been playing better the last 10 days or so. But I don’t want to get consumed by that right now.”
Okpala, who played two college seasons at Stanford, was acquired by the Heat this past summer in a draft-night trade with the second pick in the second round (No. 32 overall). A strained left Achilles that kept him out for 19 consecutive games helped to limit Okpala to one rebound in three minutes of action over three NBA games this season, with the rest of his time spent in the G League.
Okpala isn’t the first second-round pick the Heat has sent to the G League. Josh Richardson, who was the Heat’s second-round pick in 2015, played four G League games with the Skyforce as a rookie and also played in 52 regular-season games for the Heat that season.
“That’s what J-Rich and I always laugh about,” Spoelstra said. “He was going [to the G League] and see you later at the end of the year. That was the plan. He was going to go for at least three weeks, a month. Then we were going to re-evaluate.
But things happened. We had some injuries. I put him in there and obviously we couldn’t turn back.
“So I’m open to anything right now. I just want KZ to get experience in our program. Practices, games, shootarounds, film sessions. He’s getting more of that now, and he has to earn his minutes as well. EG has been extremely hard on him. If he’s not doing it up to our standards, he plays about 12-15 minutes. When he plays the way he’s capable of, it’s 36 minutes. We want him out there for that, that’s the carrot and he has to earn it.” So far, so good for Okpala. “He’s on the right track,” Spoelstra said. “This is good progress for him. It’s a good fit. The roster fits him right now, so he can be who he is at his best.”
BAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
With Heat center Bam Adebayo recording the third triple-double of his career and season in Monday’s win over the Magic, he became the fourth player in franchise history with as many as three triple-doubles in a season. The other names on that list: LeBron James (four in 2010-11 and four in 2012-13), Jimmy Butler (three this season) and Hassan Whiteside (three in 2015-16.).
The 22-year-old Adebayo also has the three youngest triple-doubles in franchise history, according to the
Heat.
In addition, Adebayo and Butler are the first pair of teammates with at least three triple-doubles each before the All-Star Break since Michael Jordan and
Scottie Pippen in the 199293 season.
The participants for The Rising Stars Game were scheduled to be announced Tuesday night on TNT. But that announcement has been pushed back to Friday at noon in the wake of NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s death. Heat rookie guards Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro, and second-year forward Duncan Robinson are candidates for the Feb. 14 game in Chicago during All-Star Weekend.
Nunn (bilateral Achilles soreness) missed Tuesday’s game against the Celtics. Heat forward Justise Winslow (lower back bone bruise) also was ruled out.
The Celtics were without
Jayson Tatum (right groin strain), Javonte Green (left knee soreness) and Enes Kanter (right hip bruise).
Anthony Chiang: 305-376-4991, @Anthony_Chiang