In the lane

Time and place:

Having been alongside during Dion Waiters’ NBA initiation with the Cleveland Cavaliers, center Tristan Thompson said he is not surprised that the experience has been different for the guard under Pat Riley with the Heat. “There’s peaks and valleys in your career,” Thompson said amid the Heat’s visit to Cleveland. “I think he understood the importance of being a professional and staying in shape and being about the team. I think down in Miami, Pat does a good job with their culture. They tell you to get with the program or get lost, and I think Dion is at a point where he knew he had to buy in. I think that’s important for Dion. If he buys into the system like he’s done there and accepted the culture, it’s good for him.” Thompson added, “He’s the kind of guy that if he gets going early, he can change the whole game. They’re lucky to have him.”

Culture club:

Speaking of culture, former Heat forward James Jones said he is attempting to emulate Riley’s approach in his role as head of the Phoenix Suns’ personnel wing. “We should be a place where every party, everyone involved, feels invested and feels connected,” Jones recently told The Athletic. “I think we’ve started to do that with some of the moves we’ve made. And the way our guys are developing, I think you see that on the court and on the bench. When Deandre [Ayton] is in the game, Richaun Holmes is his biggest cheerleader. And when Richaun’s in the game, Deandre’s his biggest cheerleader. It just shows a connection that had been missing in the past, but I think we found it.”

Taking notice:

Perhaps Derrick Jones Jr. will make more of an impression Sunday when the Heat play at State Farm Arena, in the wake of the recent conversion in between Atlanta Hawks dunking legend Dominque Wilkins and current Hawks forward Vince Carter. During a recent conversation between the two facilitated by The Athletic,

Wilkins, now a Hawks broadcaster, seemed to only give grudging respect to the emerging Heat forward. “That kid in Miami, Jones, Derrick Jones, he can get off the floor,” Wilkins said. “But he hasn’t found out how to use it to his advantage.” Of current dunkers he has taken note of, Carter cited Zach LaVine, Donovan Mitchell and DJ Stephens.

Rookie moment:

The highlight of Lonnie Walker

Jr.’s rookie season, beyond Thursday’s NBA cameo debut against the Boston Celtics, came this past week in the G League, with a putback rebound to seal a victory for the Austin Spurs over the Heat’s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. As for creating NBA memories, the No. 18 pick in last June’s NBA draft out of the University of Miami appreciates the need for patience. “It’s a horse race. You’ve got to stay in your own lane. Sooner or later, I see that light at the end of the tunnel,” he told San Antonio’s Express News. “Whether it’s now or next year or my third year, it’s only a matter of time until people understand who Lonnie Walker is. So I’m not [in] too much of a rush. Patience is key.”