# Heat Summer League Thread



## Wade2Bosh (Mar 31, 2004)

Heat will play in both the Orlando Summer League and the Vegas Summer League. Orlando Summer League begins on Sunday..

Here's the Heat's Orlando and Vegas Summer League Rosters as of now


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Surprised Damion James hasn't stuck in the league. Tweener, but a really good player in college. Riley liked him a lot and paid extra close attention to him at the combine. If he could get his spot-up 3 down, he'd be an intriguing combo-forward/stretch-4 for us.

Larry Drew is a 6-2 C, huh?


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## Wade2Bosh (Mar 31, 2004)

Yeah, all the positions on Heat.com are ****ed up. Varnado is a guard. Yeah :laugh:


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Keep hearing stuff about Kabongo being a steal. Just don't see how he could make the roster. Would have to decimate the competition.


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## Wade2Bosh (Mar 31, 2004)

Need Heat basketball back in your life? Orlando Summer league begins tomorrow with the Heat playing the Jazz at 1pm. Game will be shown on NBA TV.


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## UD40 (May 12, 2005)

Very excited to see Jackie Carmichael. Loved what I saw from him at the combine, and thought for sure he'd be a mid 2nd round pick. I know he won't find a spot on our roster, but maybe we could stash him in the D-League.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Sad to admit I'm excited and setting the dvr. Some fun prospects on this year's roster, headlined by Ennis and Kabongo. Jarvis needs to show us something too.


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## Dee-Zy (Jan 12, 2006)

I actually really want to watch, mainly because of Kabongo but no TV 

Is there a free stream on NBA.com or something?


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## UD40 (May 12, 2005)

Spo & Fiz in attendance.


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## UD40 (May 12, 2005)

Jarvis with two early blocks.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Great to see that confident and smooth J from JV.

Awful FT from Myck earlier.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Making a run!


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Varnado looks great, finally. Skying for boards.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Not getting the quick hook for Ennis. Dude should play all 40.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Ennis with the deep 3. Nice.

Is Ian Clark going to be our new Anthony Morrow?


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Ennis has made a couple of very nice passes.

Wow, just got a steal and sick block back to back.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Really intrigued by what Bosh/JarVar would look like up front.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Varnado just tried to be LeBron off the dribble from the perimeter, expected result. Another sick Ennis block on other end though.

Now Ennis swishes another smooth 3.


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## UD40 (May 12, 2005)

From the little I saw, Kabongo was trying too hard.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Yup. Didn't love the way he looked.



> @*EthanJSkolnick*  26s James Ennis says that he was a little nervous early, but then "I let it fly." @*m33m* would approve


:yes:


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Varnado with 10/6 with 4 boards.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

LOL...Ian Clark will be playing for GS in Vegas. So much Morrow deja vu.

Reading a bit about him, sounds like a really great shooter.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Heat/Nets starting now! Woo!


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## Wade2Bosh (Mar 31, 2004)

Ian Clark! Superstar!


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Telling you. We're getting Anthony Morrow'd again. This one looks like he can drive it a bit too. 

This Scotty Hopson is showing up now too.

Hate these quick hooks for Ennis. At least they're letting Varnado stay in with the 2nd unit.


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## Wade2Bosh (Mar 31, 2004)

Ennis is guaranteed to be there for Orlando and Vegas and at training camp as well. So they probably want to rest him enough to get through this grind and look at others who arent locked into contracts.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

True. I guess I was underestimating his security a bit.

3an Clark. Just sign him.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Both of Ennis' buckets have come on putbacks. Showing the pogo hops.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

We've more than doubled our 1st half output from yesterday. Determined to still not lose two games in a row.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Varnado is a block monster.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

3NNIS


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Ennis with 2 great-looking early 3s, the second of which came catching on the move off a curl. He then skied for a board and dribbled up for a heat-check 3 he missed. I like it


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

JV hitting that J. That could get him on the floor. The real floor.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Ennis' handle needs a little tightening, but better than advertised. Hit a nice pullup 2 and is getting to the line a ton. Looks like a 2 with 3 size.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Clark's shooting the lights out again, too. And also playing good-looking D on Oladipo. Can we keep him Riles?


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Ennis slowed down big time in the 2nd half, not scoring until a late alley oop in transition. Had a few turnovers when he had opportunites. I've been pleased to see him able to execute many of the dribble moves he made in that workout video that I thought probably wouldn't translate to game action.

This Ian Clark can shoot and defend. Pat said he'd be willing to add a young 3rd PG. Nothing resembling a pure point, but I like what he brings for us.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Also, DJ Stephens finally got some good burn in the 2nd half and had a few ridiculous plays. Such a unique player. Barely 6-6 but with his absurd wingspan and vert he plays like a big. Shows some perimeter skills though. The Magic, with all their pros, looked outmatched. A lot of it looked to be how ridiculously athletic this Heat team is. They couldn't score at the rim.


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## doctordrizzay (May 10, 2011)

Jace said:


> Also, DJ Stephens finally got some good burn in the 2nd half and had a few ridiculous plays. Such a unique player. Barely 6-6 but with his absurd wingspan and vert he plays like a big. Shows some perimeter skills though. The Magic, with all their pros, looked outmatched. A lot of it looked to be how ridiculously athletic this Heat team is. They couldn't score at the rim.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Lead C-USA in blocks.


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## doctordrizzay (May 10, 2011)

Maybe he can be our new D-Wade in a few years


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

LeBron tweeted this Summer League photo with an omen in the background.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Seriously wondering if Varnado isn't making Joel obsolete, especially with $ considered.


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## Wade2Bosh (Mar 31, 2004)

Haha, saw that earlier today and thought the same when I saw Andy Ellisburg behind Lebron.

Would still like to see Varnado pack on a few more pounds.


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## Dee-Zy (Jan 12, 2006)

Kabongo standing out or just BR BS?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...iami-heats-free-agent-steal-of-2013-offseason



> The Miami Heat summer league roster is exactly 24 players deep, but a single free agent stands out from the rest of his nearly two dozen peers.


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## Wade2Bosh (Mar 31, 2004)

Kabongo has been the opposite of standing out in the 1st two games.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Yup. Never really liked the fit here, and he's so far been less than advertised. Perhaps he can make spectacular plays, but he's no floor general. Probably a super poor man's Rondo, who garners similar criticism, albeit on a much different level. Amazing when you're running a team so poorly you get benched in summer league, despite being a relatively important prospect.


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## Smithian (Apr 3, 2006)

Jace said:


> Seriously wondering if Varnado isn't making Joel obsolete, especially with $ considered.


So conflicted.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

He does so many things on the court Joel couldn't fathom doing (had one play where he caught the ball on the run in transition and finished acrobatically past defenders), and seems to be the better rim protector at this point. Might not be as fast, but he seems to use his length well trapping a la Joel/Bosh/Bird.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Wow, DJ Kennedy has looked pretty awful, not that I was expecting anything from him.

DJ Stephens has been a whole lot of fun, though. His length is almost as ridiculous as his athleticism, and he stays within himself on O, has nice touch around the rim, and is everywhere on D and the boards. Would love him on the squad if we had room. No chance though.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Ennis, Varnado, and Clark all having their moments again.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Cedric Jackson wouldn't make any sense for this team, but he might have a chance in the league somewhere. Very good playermaker/ballhandler, just not much of an offensive game. 

Heat somehow put together a 2nd round/undrafted team that's smoking teams with first-rounders and pros. Championship intangibles all day.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Opened the 2nd half with Ennis' best dunk in a "Heat" uni. Caught the ball on a curl toward the rim and through down some thunder.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Heat lose a spot in the championship game on an airball floater putback slam by Tony Mitchell. Also give up an Orlando SL record 18 boards to Drummond. Feels like the regular season.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

The Heat waived Kim English....sort of. He struggled super-hard today against our SL team and just got waived by Detroit, surprisingly.


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## UD40 (May 12, 2005)

Miami storms back for a come-from-behind victory over Detroit today.

Game 6 has nothing on this...


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Fell asleep early in the 2nd half. Saw Clark went off...again. Read a tweet that the Heat tried to get him to join them in Vegas, but he said he'd honor his commitment to GS. Meanwhile, Dwight Buycks, who was 2nd in Orlando in apg, was signed by the Raptors today and will no longer play for us in Vegas.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Didn't realize we're the only team participating in both SLs.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Can't watch tonight's game until noon tomorrow (unless you want to pay 15 bucks...seriously NBA?), but looking by the boxscore, Ennis is struggling. Five points on 2-7 and 4 TOs, 1-3 from the line (very good foul shooter, though). Up to two of his misses may've been tips at the rim though, since he has 2 offensive boards, and 7 total.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

NBATV switched to our game when the other ended.

Ennis had a short stint I saw before Craig took out the finishing crew, during which he made a couple nice dribble moves leading to fouls, made a great backdoor cut leading to a dunk, and badly missed a 3 off glass he rushed.

Varnado looked pretty bad on O but played his usual explosive D.

Myck Kabongo is playing pretty terribly. Hasn't been able to do anything good, and even his FTs look like a joke.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Looking like the Heat's SL is going to end today with a probable loss to PHX, but Ennis is having himself a game. After showing different elements of his game in each previous game, he's showing it all today. 25 points with a few minutes left, and with a few missed FTs and easy putbacks he could easily be over 30.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Should've known I was calling this game too early. In typical Miami Heat fashion, the kids stormed back from 20 down to take the lead, but didn't have enough in the finish.

Fittingly, the game ended with the Heat down 2 and Ennis mishandling off a curl, resulting in a game-ending jump ball. I said "fittingly" because it's the most obvious part of his game to improve. In his defense, he was spent. After playing under 20 minutes each previous game, he played almost all of this one for the first time this summer. That, coupled with the almost-ever-day playing schedule (and Orlando directly preceding) had to have shot his legs. For him to have his best game of the summer in such a circumstance is a good sign. Overall, most impressed I've been by a Heat summer player since Beas/Chalmers in 2008, not that that's saying much (that includes Cole last year though). With expectations considered, he was probably even more impressive than those two.

Damion James permanently played himself out of the league today. Yikes.

Varnado was a mixed bag this summer (he was curiously held out today, contributing to the loss I felt), but it's the best I've seen him look since we drafted him. Apparently Birdman is the rare Heat big man with hands, as Jarvis, though not nearly as bad as Joel or Pitt, misses many catches and loses a few rebounds because he can't seem to grab the ball. He showed enough of a jumper for me to have confidence in him stepping out and spacing the floor a tad, and his unorthodox hook is lightyears ahead of Joel's. With what we have right now, I think he should start to begin the season. He'd be greatly served playing with the starters, and would give more to that unit than a UD or Joel. He and Bosh could really blow up pick and rolls and protect the rim.

I like Eric Griffin a lot, but he's definitely a PF but needs to put on a ton of weight to compete there nightly, and he's already 23. Great athleticism, length, tenacity, and touch around the rim. I hope he at least gets a camp invite. Feel similarly about DJ Stephens, though his issue is more his height and need to develop his perimeter skills a bit more, though he has a nice jump shot framework.

That leaves my second favorite prospect from this summer, Ian Clark. Hoping we can get him into camp. Lights out shooter with a super quick release and ability to hit the floater or mid-range pullup when closed out on.

Honorable mentions to DJ Kennedy, James Nunnally, Travis Leslie, Michael Dunnigan, and Cedric Jackson. All had nice moments and have a modicum of a chance at making the end of a roster, though not ours.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Nice article on Chet Kemmerer's scouting of Ennis and our draft night maneuvering attempts




> James Ennis was not an impulse buy.
> 
> The Miami Heat became aware of the Ventura High product when he was still playing at Ventura College two years ago and scouted him in person before he ever took the floor for Long Beach State.
> 
> ...


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## Wade County (Jun 22, 2003)

Good read. 

Jace, your boy Ian Clark dropped 33 in the Warriors summer league championship over the Suns. 7 of 10 from downtown. Think he will get some offers above what we can pay him.


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## Jace (Sep 26, 2005)

Yup. Ira just tweeted he's a FA. Gonna take the most he gets offered.


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