{"id":11125,"date":"2024-12-15T08:22:20","date_gmt":"2024-12-15T08:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=11125"},"modified":"2024-12-15T08:22:20","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T08:22:20","slug":"heat-young-player-who-deserves-more-consistent-minutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=11125","title":{"rendered":"Heat young player who deserves more consistent minutes.."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Heat<\/p>\n

\n
\n

As the\u00a0Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors\u00a0last Thursday, marking their fourth straight win of the season, there were a couple of players that shined. While the\u00a0Heat have been surrounded by trade speculation involving Jimmy Butler, the team has also been playing their best stretch of basketball as fans continue to ask for more minutes from certain younger players.<\/p>\n

The names you will hear often from fans are the\u00a0Heat\u2019s first-round pick, Kel\u2019el Ware,\u00a0who has had sporadic minutes from the team and even had a minor stint just recently with the G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Another would be\u00a0Heat\u2019s young star Nikola Jovic as he stood out in the win over the Raptors in his first minutes since Nov. 23 against the Dallas Mavericks.<\/p>\n

Another who has had an impressive week and should be in line for more work is Miami guard Dru Smith, who can receive a standard deal since he takes up one of three two-way contract slots. With the\u00a0Heat trading Thomas Bryant to\u00a0the Indiana Pacers, it has freed up some space as they were near the dreaded second apron to make way for a \u201cpromotion\u201d of Smith.<\/p>\n

Heat\u2019s Erik Spoelstra on the \u201csuperpower\u201d of Dru Smith<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) warms up against the Toronto Raptors before the game at Kaseya Center.\u00a0Rhona Wise-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

In any sense, it has been an\u00a0impressive three-game stretch for Smith,\u00a0who has logged close to 30 minutes in the past three games and should get much more, looking at what Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra\u00a0said about the 26-year-old last Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just when you find guys that just do winning things on both ends of the court over and over and over, that could be consistent to that. That\u2019s a superpower in this league,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cEverybody\u2019s searching for that, but he\u2019s kind of a glue that fits. He can make any unit work. Second unit, the starters, you know. So that\u2019s a thing I say make me watch, make me play you and make me for sure, not even think about putting those somebody else in there. That\u2019s all going to be dictated on the scoreboard.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n