Fans Get Worried About Miami Heat After Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co.'s Preseason Game vs. Raptors
· Yahoo Sports
Miami Heat fans came into the preseason wanting a first look at what Giannis Antetokounmpo could do alongside Bam Adebayo and the rest of the new-look roster. They had the first glimpse. Maybe more than what they asked for. After the promising outing against the Raptors, the early reaction was not concern about whether the experiment would work, but concern for the rest of the NBA if it does.
Giannis made his Miami debut in the preseason opener against the Raptors in Quebec City and needed only 14 minutes to show why defenses may have a difficult time containing this group.
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He finished with nine points, four rebounds, and seven assists while going 3-for-3 from the field.
The scoring itself was not the most important part.
Giannis Antetokounmpo repeatedly drew defenders toward the paint before moving the ball to open shooters, giving Miami an early look at the gravitational pull that made the blockbuster trade so appealing. Andrew Wiggins took advantage, scoring 12 points while shooting 4-for-6 from three.
Tim Hardaway Jr. provided another glimpse of the spacing Miami can put around its new star. He came off the bench and went 3-for-3 from deep for 14 points, while Bam added 10 points and six rebounds before the Heat sat their starters for the second half.
The Heat eventually cruised to a 129-105 victory after scoring 76 points in the opening half. The final score was preseason. Most importantly, the way Giannis Antetokounmpo’s presence opened the floor for everyone else was the part that caught attention.
And that is what had Heat fans already thinking this roster might be much better than expected.
Heat Fans See a Much Bigger Ceiling With Giannis Antetokounmpo
The first glimpse of the Heat produced the obvious reactions across the NBA world. A fan wrote, “Kinda feel like the Heat have plenty of shooting.”
For most of the summer, one of the obvious questions around Miami was whether Giannis and Adebayo would crowd the floor. The first half offered a useful counter. Giannis Antetokounmpo repeatedly drew help before finding shooters, and Wiggins punished the Raptors from outside.
Tim Hardaway also knocked down all three of his attempts from the arc. In short, the Heat didn’t need Giannis to dominate the scoring column to control the defense.
“Why the heat looking kinda scary?”
This reaction came after Miami built a 21-point halftime lead. Giannis had seven assists in only 14 minutes, which matters more than his nine points. It shows how quickly the offense clicked. He was getting downhill, forcing defenders to collapse and then making the next pass.
That gives Miami a path to create efficient offense without asking him to attack every possession.
“The Miami Heat look like the dynasty Golden State Warriors. The Raptors look like a team from the 80s/90s.”
The Warriors comparison is obviously premature, especially in a preseason game, but the fans saw something recognizable in Miami’s spacing. Five players were repeatedly threatening different areas of the floor. And the ball moved after Toronto committed extra defenders to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Something that Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant did repeatedly.
The Raptors also struggled badly from deep, finishing the game at 10% from three, which made the contrast look even more extreme.
“The Heat look good”
There was not much else needed to explain this reaction. Miami led the game throughout and finished with 129 points while strangling the Raptors to 105. The first-half group showed that the Heat can play fast without sacrificing spacing.
“Like I said, Heat healthy…finals appearance”
That final prediction depends on something the preseason opener cannot answer: health. Miami is building around Giannis and Adebayo, and both stars need to be available when the games matter. Giannis’ debut was limited, but his seven assists and perfect shooting showed how much offensive attention he can create.
Add the shooting of Wiggins, Klay, and Hardaway on the perimeter, and the ceiling becomes much easier to understand.
But after one game, Miami has already given its fans something tangible to believe in: Giannis Antetokounmpo can create the openings, and this roster appears capable of making opponents pay for them.
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