MIAMI (AP) -Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had nothing but high praise about his team’s weeklong journey to take part in the annual NBA Europe Live tour.
That being said, he’s ready to again appreciate the comforts of home.
Now at about the midway point of the preseason, Miami returns to work at its own facility Wednesday morning, and the two close losses in Paris and London to the New Jersey Nets helped give Spoelstra a clearer understanding of issues his team needs to address before the season-opener at New York on Oct. 29.
“This is an important week for us. We really need to get more into our system,” Spoelstra said. “On defense, we made some strides in terms of what we’ve been stressing, protecting the paint, protecting the rim. And overall, rebounding has shown improvement, really from a team aspect. It’s been a major, major focus of ours.”
But the offense hasn’t exactly started clicking yet.
the rotations Spoelstra used in those games won’t be the ones he utilizes in the regular season, and even an 0-3 preseason start – after an 0-7 exhibition record in 2007 – doesn’t have the Heat believing another doomed season awaits.
Still, it is a bit of a concern.
“Offensively we’re a little bit behind of where we are defensively, but defense was our focus going into it,” Spoelstra said. “Certainly I’d like to have more things in offensively, but I’m going to really try to be patient and stick with the details of what we already have in right now, so we can get our spacing and timing right.”
One highlight of the trip may have been the debut of the three-forward lineup that had first-round pick Michael Beasley playing alongside Shawn Marion and Udonis Haslem, who became the center in that scenario.
Spoelstra said he’ll continue studying how to make that triumvirate work this week.
“We didn’t spend enough time with them together to get a great look at it, but I’m going to look at it more this week in practice,” Spoelstra said. “That lineup is a pretty good rebounding team, defensively there’s some versatility there, and offensively we need to make those guys comfortable.”
On the injury front, Miami is getting healthier.
layers are improving.
Haslem (foot) played on Sunday, then worked out on his own Tuesday, and had no ill effects. Point guard Chris Quinn (ankle) could return to full practice Wednesday, guard Shaun Livingston – who has missed nearly two years battling back from a major knee injury – was able to practice in Europe and forward Dorell Wright (knee) is expected to play some 5-on-5 Wednesday.
Forward James Jones (wrist) will continue doing conditioning and non-contact work, but remains day-to-day, Spoelstra said.
“We want to be judicious with that,” he said. “We want to calm that down as much as we can.”
The Heat left for Paris last week believing that a week together would bring teammates closer, and Spoelstra said that goal was clearly accomplished.
“It was a terrific trip, we spent a lot of time together as a team, more than we would have ever spent in Miami,” he said. “Bus rides, lunches, NBA Cares events, the team dinners, the team tours, the days would start at 7 o’clock in the morning and end after 9 at night, and we were always together as a team. That’s a great benefit.”
Miami’s next exhibition game is Saturday against the Orlando Magic in Jacksonville, Fla.
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