Dru Smith arrived in South Florida hoping the Miami Heat could be speaking turkey, but additionally unsure whether or not there could be a seat on the staff’s desk.
So whereas he was in Miami on Thanksgiving, it was not essentially a one-way ticket onto the roster. The following day, there was a lightweight exercise by the 6-foot-3 combo guard on the Heat’s enviornment and a dialogue with coach Erik Spoelstra.
And then a ready recreation.
“I just got in the gym for a second and they kind of figured it out, I think, later on Friday,” he stated. “They didn’t know if they were going to need me or not. Basically, I was just in case they lost another guard, I think, honestly.”
Shortly earlier than Friday’s residence recreation in opposition to the Washington Wizards, the Heat decided that knee swelling would preserve Gabe Vincent out. So Smith not solely was again on the roster on a two-way contract, however performed 15:55 off the bench within the victory, on an evening he simply as seemingly might have been with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
“It’s been interesting,” Smith stated forward of the Heat’s Wednesday and Friday evening video games in opposition to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. “It’s been enjoyable. I didn’t know precisely what it was going to appear like when Spo was speaking to me about them bringing me again. He simply stated, ‘We’re going to wish you. We’ve obtained guards which can be down.’ So I knew I used to be going to get to play.
“Obviously, I didn’t know how much or what that would look like. So just trying to make sure that I was ready to go and just doing the best to help us win.”
In Sunday’s victory over the Atlanta Hawks at the beginning of this four-game journey, Smith once more did simply that, changing a 3-pointer halfway by means of the fourth quarter to assist the Heat maintain on.
“I think in this situation you just kind of have to take every day as it comes,” stated Smith, who went undrafted out of Missouri in 2021. “You can’t plan days out. You just don’t know what’s going to come next. So I think just trying to stay open minded to whatever it is and just go into everything with the right attitude really is what’s more important to me than anything else.”
This is the All-SEC choice’s second stint with the staff this season. He was waived on Nov. 13 when the Heat opted for the scale of heart Orlando Robinson, who had been enjoying alongside Smith with the Skyforce.
When he was waived, Smith stated he was informed he might return. That return got here every week later.
“I believed ‘em,” he stated. “I don’t think they’re just telling you that just because. I think they’re trying to keep you in the right mental state, just knowing that you’re not that far out of reach while you’re up there.”
To a level, it’s nearly as if the Heat have had Smith on pace dial. When the roster was restricted throughout summer season league, he was summoned to affix the staff in July in Las Vegas. A camp invitation adopted, as did his preliminary two-way contract, and now this second go-round on such a deal.
“Whatever the case may be,” he stated, “just try to make sure I’m ready and able to help the team win when they need me to.”
All whereas having the maturity to cope with touring commercially throughout Thanksgiving week and accepting there but once more could possibly be the large chill of South Dakota.
“My wife does a great job of just keeping me even keeled and just supporting me on the days that I need it,” Smith, 24, stated. “I think that’s how I’ve been since I really started playing.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com