TLDR: Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Heat jersey at Kaseya Center is still a strange thing to read, and on Thursday, October 8, Miami fans get to see it in person. It's an exhibition against a Pelicans team with a new coach and a lot of new faces, so nothing is at stake, but there's plenty to watch.
This is the first of Miami's 3 preseason home games. Giannis is coming off his first training camp outside Milwaukee in 13 years, and he called camp at FAU "everything I expected and more." The real question is how he fits with Bam Adebayo. Bam was blunt about it: "It's a process, but we're making each other better." A preseason game at home is the first look at that process in front of a crowd that cares.
New Orleans gets here a different way. The Pelicans visit Oklahoma City on October 6 first, so this will be their second exhibition under Jamahl Mosley, and whatever minutes plan he shows in that one is the best hint for how he'll split time here. Mosley has a 21-man camp roster to sort out. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray, Yves Missi and Jeremiah Fears are back, and Bennedict Mathurin, Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey came in over the offseason. That's a lot of guards and wings for not many rotation spots.
There's no board posted for this one yet, which is fair for a preseason game where nobody knows who plays the second half. For Miami, the rotation outside the top guys matters more than the stars' minutes. The Heat have a roster fight going at the end of the bench, with Lester Quinones added on an Exhibit 10 deal right as camp opened and Vladislav Goldin heading into his second season on a two-way.
Miami's injuries hit right where those depth battles are. Keshad Johnson is out a few weeks with a right hamstring strain, and Dru Smith is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a strained right calf. Both were in the mix for backup minutes. With them out, Erik Spoelstra has more time to hand to the fringe guys, and that's why these games exist. On the New Orleans side, Bryce McGowens is the one name on the report, listed day-to-day with a toe issue.
Miami opens the regular season on October 21 against Minnesota, so treat this as a dress rehearsal. Things worth watching: how long Giannis and Bam share the floor, whether Mosley gives Poole and Murray real time together in the backcourt, and which of the Pelicans' new wings looks like he's earned a spot. Tip is at 7:30 PM ET.
