IN THE LANE

UNIFORM PLANS: The NBA has released the listing of uniforms teams will wear this season, with the Heat yet to unveil their latest City Edition. The Heat will play Thursday’s season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks in their red Statement Edition uniform. They then will go on the road on Oct. 23 against the Indiana Pacers in their black Icon Edition. Their white Association Edition will be worn for the first time upon their return home, on Oct. 25 against the Orlando Magic. The Heat’s City Edition uniforms are scheduled to be worn for the first time on Nov. 4 against the visiting Boston Celtics.

A CANADIAN THING: Dating to his days as Toronto Raptors coach, Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey said he has been keeping tabs on Canadian export Kelly Olynyk. Then the former Heat center this offseason signed with the Pistons.“I’ve had a man crush on Kelly since Toronto,” Casey told Pistons.com.“He’s from Canada. We always tried to get him there when I was back in that other life.”The signing also reunited Olynyk with fellow Canadian and longtime friend Cory Joseph.“We played together from like 7, 8, 9 growing up,”Joseph, the veteran guard, said.“His dad and my dad coached. His mom was a referee. My mom played back in the day. I used to go in his backyard and he had this amazing trampoline. I used to go bounce around with him as kids.”

STILL SEARCHING: Two seasons ago, it was a case of coming up two victories shy of a championship in the NBA Finals while with the Heat.

Last season, a 2-0 Finals lead with the Phoenix Suns evaporated into a series loss to the Bucks. So, yes, the motivation very much remains for Jae

Crowder.“I don’t know how you can play a series like that, be up 2-0 and lose four in a row and it not hurt, not burn,” Crowder said, as he prepares for his second season with the Suns.“It’s supposed to burn, I think.”

GAMESMANSHIP: Perhaps this time Hassan Whiteside has found his NBA fit. With the Utah Jazz, the former Heat center has realized a partner both on and off the court.“It’s been really intense. It’s been really intense,” he told the Salt Lake Tribune of his practice-court battles with Jazz center

Rudy Gobert.“You know, just me and Rudy beating each other up all practice. And then we play Call of Duty all night. That’s pretty much how our days go.”While Whiteside has spent much of his career trying to measure up to Gobert, the video challenges are a different story.“I’ve been winning ‘em!” he said.“But if you talk to Rudy . . . he’s so competitive! ‘All right, let’s do it again!’“