Miami Heat 2019-2020 Season Thread

Instead of creating a thread for every month I thought I would do just one thread for the entire season. I will do one separately for the playoffs if we get to that point.

I will start this thread off by posting a link to the schedule of which just came out today. We can talk it up from there.

Miami Heat 2019-20 schedule: The when and where for all 82 games

First and foremost, the Heat will start their 6-game pre-season sate on October 8th at home against the Spurs

By my count the Heat have 13 back-to-backs this season which I think may be the same number they've had the last couple of seasons.

The teams longest road trip is of 6 games of which includes our west coast trip which will actually end in Atlanta.

Their longest home-stand is of 5 games of which happens twice

1 each pre/post All-Star Break

So far, the Heat have 6 nationally televised games -- obviously subject to change depending on how their season is going.

And with that, it brings us another day closer to the season. A day closer to a brand new era of Heat basketball.

Come along for the ride -- It will be a great one.

Stability for the Heat yet again. One of the greatest coaches in Heat and NBA history, stays with the team. The legend of the man who has MADE so many miami legends lives on.

Media day

The season is here

bksballer89 said:

Media day

The season is here

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Maybe it was just me, but did you see Justise Winslow? The guy looks like he has bulked up quite a bit.

bksballer89 said:

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Its always encouraging when the top guys on the team take the off-season to improve their game and overall health. It's one thing when one guy does it - but its very encouraging when multiple guys do it. Its the type of attitude thats going to trickle down to the rest of the team - its going to trickle down to their play on the court.

This is why I wasn't mad about the outcome of last season - I knew the roster moves that came would have a positive impact of whats to come for the future. It starts in the off-season, off the court -- soon enough they will be able to settle it on the court.


We are now just days away from pre-season. And, for the first time in quite some time, we will get to see new faces get significant PT - as well as young talent getting more PT.

Led by the winningest coach in franchise history.

bksballer89 said:

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Yesterday I posted how it seemed so many of our guys looking committed to the work necessary for them to be individually successful - and how that would translate to the team.

It slipped my mind that fake tough guy, thug life hair-do -- James Johnson was still on the team. It does not surprise me that of all the guys on the team HE is the one not aligning with the rest of what the rest of the team has been doing in the off-season to prepare for the season.

It looks like he spent a lot of the off season eating shit and dressing like a clown as usual.

It's a new era of Heat basketball. With more fresh, young faces on the team developing -- James Johnson is no longer guaranteed to just GET PT like he has been the past two seasons - he will have to earn it. If he isn't ready -- someone else will take his spot and run with it.

Both the young guys and veterans who have been around this organization for a while look poised to lead the organization out of the rut they've been in the past few seasons -- any one player not ready to jump on board with that is going to be left behind -- Not surprised James Johnson looks to be that guy early on at least.

Now that this has happened to him, lets see how he responds. Does he continue to be a lazy bum? Or does he step up to the challenge?

On wednesday -- it starts to count, folks.

Dion Waiters suspended for the first game of the season for "conduct detrimental to the team".

This is an absolutely shameful move for the organization.

This guy has simply expressed his displeasure with his PT with the team and this is how they handle it?

There have been similar instances before -- with other players -- and less has been done to address the situation.

If this situation lingers, as is being reported it could - the team is responsible for causing the situation. The team has decided to make this more than what it is - so if it lingers, its on them. They must not be happy with the Dion's contract as it stands due to the injury issues - so this is a cheap ass tactic on the part of the team to create leverage to move him. This is how you lose players and locker-rooms.

For both sides, hopefully this is something that can be settled with this one disciplinary action so that it DOES NOT linger any longer. This is beyond unnecessary.

Roster deadline is 4 or 5 PM today -- I think.

Been reading a lot of projection as to who our starters will be - The most common 5 listed I see is:
Winslow
Herro
Butler
K.O.
Bam

Of note:Most of the projections I have seen, do take into account Dion's 1-game bogus suspension.So, the consensus is -- he is not projected as a starter to start the season.

Obviously, most of these are just opinions. It also seems a lot of these projections are based on what the Heat have sent out there during pre-season to start games.

What do you think of these projections? Who do you think will/should be the starting 5?

One thing is for certain, I am glad that it SEEMS James Johnson WILL NOT be a starter this season. And -- I think, he will have to really earn his place in the starting lineup/rotation like never before in his time here due to his lousy conditioning at the start of camp.

Here we go with the injuries.

Your opening-night starters -- Kind of.

And this seems to be our final roster going into the first game of the season.
Miami Heat Roster

Thoughts?

It can change from now until tipoff, and will certainly change as the season moves along - but, I like the makeup of the Heat roster.

Only 3 players with 10+years of experience
4-Rookies

Also like that our two-way contracts went to a rookie and a player with 1-year of experience

Kendrick Nunn, another youngster, has a guaranteed contract on the roster. Not sure if its a partial-guarantee - but, this is the start of the youth movement I have been calling for, and that this organization simply NEEDED.

Granted, the Heat/Riley philosophy has often been for these guys to develop to later use as trade-bait/salary shedding when they are in a win-now mode and decide to go after veteran help - but it is still go to see them adding some young talent to see what they can do.

First, I will say that I still think this suspension is pointless - and, as is obvious, is only hurting the parties involved. That being said, I was hoping Dion would have taken the high road at this point in the situation. Unfortunately, that is not the case. He needs to take ownership of the situation - not make a thing of it on social media - or any other media form. What Waiters needs to do is exactly what James Johnson did when he was disciplined for not meeting conditioning standards - he took it upon himself to own up to his faults and is working towards improving upon it and showing his worth on the court -- when he gets his chance. Dion needs to shut the fuck up - take ownership of the situation HE created - and show his worth with his play on the court when his time comes - in whatever role it comes in. All this talk about trading him or getting rid of him in some form is just unnecessary before the season even starts.

HE created this problem, but as I have said in the past - the Heat made something out of nothing and its having a negative effect on all involved. I won't get into it again, but other guys have had worse reactions on this team to similar situations(multiple times) and less has been done. The Heat could've given Waiters the benefit of the doubt considering he is coming off an injury riddled season - and knowing the fiery guy he is. I don't think he would be complaining otherwise as some other players here have in the past about playing time.

Hopefully both sides find a reasonable solution to this. This has been unnecessary.