Per week in the past, Caleb Martin was making Trae Young earn every little thing because the Miami Heat pushed previous the Atlanta Hawks throughout the Heat’s regular-season house finale at FTX Arena, holding Young to three of 12 capturing from the sector within the second half.
Starting Sunday, that once more might be Martin’s problem, with maybe even a little bit of a chip on his shoulder.
While the Heat gained’t know their opening-round NBA playoff opponent till Friday evening’s winner-take-all play-in sport between the visiting Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers, it was Young and the Hawks who knocked Martin’s twin brother, Charlotte Hornets ahead Cody Martin, out of the playoffs Wednesday in a play-in first-round sport.
“I talked to him [Wednesday],” Caleb mentioned of Cody. “Everybody worked so hard to get to that point, and obviously it didn’t go well enough to advance. So it’s always a bad feeling when the season ends early.”
At some level, Caleb mentioned after Thursday’s apply, he expects his brother to offer assist from the stands throughout the postseason.
“I mean, he’ll probably take a little bit of time,” Caleb mentioned, “But I know he wants to come here and watch me play, too. So I’m sure he’ll come here as soon as he feels ready to watch basketball again. When the season ends early like that, you don’t feel like watching nothing.”
And if it’s not Caleb Martin being unleashed on Young after a Hawks win Friday, then he’ll possible be set unfastened on rising Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, ought to Cleveland win towards Atlanta.
Coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned the Heat hardly may have forecasted they had been getting a possible playoff lockdown defender after they added Martin within the offseason, after the Hornets launched Caleb earlier in the summertime.
“For any of us to say, ‘Hey, we predicted any of this,’ that’s not authentic,” Spoelstra mentioned. “But we additionally didn’t wish to put a ceiling on anyone. You wished to only be open-minded. We had been simply attending to know in September, in coaching camp.
“We really liked his competitiveness and he’s a gamer. He’s proven that over the course of his college career and early on in Charlotte. He has a wide range of skills on both sides of the floor. He’s got exceptional quickness. He’s coachable. He’s competitive. That’s the most important thing. You can mold guys when they have that kind of makeup.”
Waiting sport
Spoelstra mentioned the Heat stay restricted in playoff preparation, though he did acknowledge similarities between the Hawks and Cavs.
“You want me to go through the whole scouting report?” mentioned Spoelstra, who didn’t. “Yeah, there’s some basic items that irrespective of who your playoff opponent can be that you need to tighten up defensively. And then we’re simply persevering with to work on our conditioning and rhythm and our circulation offensively. You can by no means work on that stuff sufficient.
“And it’s been really beneficial to have this practice time, to get a little bit more detailed. And then we’ll find out who we will play all at the same time.”
The ready has been the toughest half.
“Whoever our opponent is, we’ll be ready for ‘em,” guard Tyler Herro. “And we’ll be watching on Friday and we’ll see what happens and we’ll go from there.”
Tucker works
Power ahead P.J. Tucker, who missed Sunday’s season-ending highway loss to the Orlando Magic with a calf pressure sustained final Friday towards the Hawks, once more went by vigorous drills after apply.
“He had a lather,” was a far as Spoelstra was keen to go about Tucker’s standing.
Center Bam Adebayo remained away from the crew, after being positioned in NBA health-and-safety protocols Sunday.
“I’ve been in constant communication with him,” Spoelstra mentioned.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com