MIAMI (AP) -Chris Quinn knows the Miami Heat have spent plenty of time this offseason trying to add another point guard. Over the next week, he gets to audition for a piece of that job.
Quinn will be the primary ball handler for Miami’s entry in this season’s Orlando summer league, a six-team event that opens Monday. The second-year pro from Notre Dame is the only member of Miami’s current NBA roster on its summer squad.
“I’m very excited to get a flow going, hopefully play a lot of minutes,” Quinn said.
Undrafted a year ago, he signed with the Heat last July and played in four summer league games, putting up extremely modest numbers – 3.8 points on 31 percent shooting, with five assists and three turnovers in 59 minutes.
But he showed enough court savvy to merit a training camp invitation and made the Heat’s regular season roster. Quinn played sparingly in 42 games, averaging 9.7 minutes, 3.4 points and 1.5 assists with three double-digit scoring efforts.
“This year was very much a learning experience for me,” said the 6-foot-3, 175-pound Quinn. “I learned a lot about life in the NBA and also with the veterans we have on our team I was able to pick up a few things. I know the ropes better than I did.”
Miami has made securing another point guard to add depth behind incumbent starter Jason Williams a priority. The Heat have been linked to Milwaukee’s Mo Williams, Memphis’ Chucky Atkins and Denver’s Steve Blake – a South Florida native – among others. They could sign a player as early as Wednesday when the free agency window opens.
But Quinn doesn’t let the Heat’s pursuit of others bother him.
“I just control what I can control,” Quinn said. “I’ll work as hard as I can. I’ll play as hard as I can.”
Heat coach and president Pat Riley, who will not run the summer squad – assistant Erik Spoelstra draws that responsibility – said he likes the progress he’s already seen out of Quinn this summer.
“He’s really strong, he’s picked up some quickness and I think if you play him 25 or 35 minutes a game he’ll show you a game,” Riley said. “I’m confident that he’ll play well.”
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