TITLE: Spoelstra and Adebayo Put Ball Incident Behind Them as Heat Begin Offseason Evaluation
SLUG: heat-offseason-spoelstra-adebayo-powell-fontecchio
CONTENT:
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday he is finished dwelling on the lower-back injury Bam Adebayo suffered in Tuesday’s play-in loss to the Charlotte Hornets, calling the LaMelo Ball foul “a dangerous play” but adding that he does not believe Ball is a dirty player.
“I’m not really thinking about that anymore,” Spoelstra told reporters during exit interviews. “Both things can be true. In that moment, it was a dirty play, a dangerous play. It should have been caught at that moment, but it wasn’t, and then you move on.”
An X-ray on Adebayo’s back was negative, and the center has not had an MRI. He walked to the podium without assistance Thursday and said he has no prior issues with Ball. “Obviously, I’m still walking, so I’m OK,” the three-time All-Star said.
Adebayo declined to speculate on possible roster moves, directing those questions to Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley. He did, however, acknowledge change is likely after Miami missed the playoffs. “Everybody in this building knows I want to win,” Adebayo said. “That’s me going into the summer trying to be better, trying to figure out how I can take my game to the next level, how I can be a better captain.”
Powell Uncertain About Extension
Norman Powell, who earned his first All-Star selection in his debut season with the Heat, played only 19 minutes against Charlotte after dealing with post-break injuries. The veteran guard-forward said he is unsure whether he will sign a new deal. “They have to make decisions based on the team and where they want to be next year,” Powell said. “Hopefully I’m a part of the plan.”
Spoelstra Highlights Young Core
Despite the early exit, Spoelstra expressed optimism about the progress of rookies and young players such as Kelel Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson and Kasparas Jakucionis. “There was significant improvement,” he said, singling out Ware’s performance in “moments of truth” and noting a pivotal offseason ahead for the 7-footer.
Fontecchio Eyes Return, Skips July Qualifiers
Forward Simone Fontecchio, set to enter free agency, reiterated that he hopes to re-sign with Miami. The 30-year-old said he likely will not join the Italian national team for July World Cup qualifying games but hopes to play in August once his contract situation is settled.
Source: Hoops Rumors
