Heat want to start where they left off last season.
MIAMI — The day before the start of training camp hardly is a time for absolutes, and absolutely not from Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
So instead, during Monday’s media day at AmericanAirlines Arena, Spoelstra offered, “I’m not putting anybody in ink right now . . . except for a few guys.”
Because center Hassan Whiteside, point guard Goran Dragic and shooting guard Dion Waiters are starting, no matter the remainder of the lineup calculus. Certainly no abstracts there for Spoelstra.
And James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson will get their share of playing time, based on contact commitments. Micky Arison didn’t spend at those levels to put such players in dry dock.
But for a team that returns almost an entire nucleus — “continuity that we feel matters, that means something,” Spoelstra said — the prevailing sentiment Monday was that there still is plenty to sort out in training camp, which opens Tuesday at Florida Atlantic University.
“Our guys,” Spoelstra said Monday, “are excited about tomorrow. They probably felt they could have started training camp three months ago. Our guys are in tremendous shape and are looking forward to getting this thing kicked off.”
And seeing where they stand.
Because, as guard Wayne Ellington noted, there certainly are plenty of players at his position.
“One thing I feel like,” he said, “is we should always have some fresh guard play in the backcourt.”
As well as competition throughout the roster.
“You want to see your teammates and everybody succeed and do well,” swingman Rodney McGruder said, “but you do want to play.”
Monday was about the talk, of Justise Winslow mentioning weight lost and Bam Adebayo of muscle gained. Of Dion Waiters insisting he is past an ankle injury he may not fully be past, and of Dragic insisting there is no significant fatigue from competing earlier this month in EuroBasket and then a transatlantic flight Sunday.
And it was about how the equation could change yet again, with Heat icon Dwyane Wade formally waived Monday by the Chicago Bulls, to clear waivers Wednesday afternoon.
“As a brother, I will support whatever decision he makes,” Heat captain Udonis Haslem said. “My heart, my soul, my mind and everything that’s speaking to me says I want him here, we want him here. But obviously that’s a decision he has to make and I will support that decision whatever it is, whether it’s in Miami, OKC or Cleveland. I will support whatever decision he makes. I would hope it would be here. It would be a dream come true.”
Spoelstra echoed the sentiment. But he also said it was more a matter for Heat President Pat Riley and General Manager Andy Elisburg.
“My focus,” Spoelstra said, “has to be on the group of guys in that locker room ready to meet tonight and ready to get out on that court tomorrow. I would really be doing a disservice to the team if I focused on anything else right now.”
Either way, the dreams will persist.
“Our guys are just crazy enough to think we can get the job done,” Spoelstra said.
Coaches typically talk about a goal of hitting the ground running during training camp. To Spoelstra, by retaining last season’s core, it’s as if another season is being joined already in progress.
“It’s totally different than last year,” he said. “I think we brought the most new guys into our team last year or roughly around there. Now we have arguably I think it’s the sixth-most guys bringing back. That is continuity that we feel matters, that means something. We don’t take it for granted. It doesn’t guarantee it will have the results or even play the way we were at the end of last year. Each season is new. You have to be open to the possibilities. But, it does allow me to prepare for this training camp different than it was last year.
“Hopefully there will be some element of picking where we left off last year while continuing to evolve. We won’t just stay where we were last year.”