Heat’s Erik Spoelstra downplays winless preseason record ahead of opener

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Heat’s Erik Spoelstra downplays winless preseason record ahead of opener

Zachary Weinberger, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, Oct 18, 2025 ·

5 min read

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The post Heat's Erik Spoelstra downplays winless preseason record ahead of opener appeared first on ClutchPoints .

MIAMI – With the Miami Heat approaching the regular season opener, the team would end up going winless in the preseason as the last contest was against the Memphis Grizzlies , 141-125. As fans lock in their bold predictions for the Miami Heat's upcoming season , Erik Spoelstra gave his thoughts on the team losing every preseason game.

Norman Powell had another impressive offensive game, scoring 23 points on eight of 13 shooting from the field and three of six from beyond the arc to go along with six assists. Bam Adebayo would also contribute with 23 points, eight rebounds, and four assists as Kel'el Ware started with Nikola Jovic out and had a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double.

Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins would each have 10 minutes in limited preseason play, but still had solid minutes as Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints that he "saw" a lot of what he wanted to see with the starters. Plus, Spoelstra touched on Miami going winless in the preseason, the first time since 2007 when the team ended up going 15-67.

"There were some things that I was looking to see in this game, and I saw a lot of them, and a lot of that was with the starters, and in some of those rotation minutes as well, when the second unit came in. So we'll build on that. We're not going to focus on what the record was in the preseason," Spoelstra said.

"We'll focus on some of the things that we're consistent with how we want to play," Spoelstra continued. "Defensively, we've talked about it a lot. We need to do a better job on the glass, and that will be paramount in game one. Orlando will be tacking the glass for sure, and we'll have to rebound in all five positions."

Heat has lineup decisions to make ahead of season opener

With the players on the Heat ready for the regular season and the opener on Oct. 22 against the Orlando Magic , the starting lineup is still unknown, with under a week away. A few constants are that Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo , and newcomer Norman Powell will be there, but the question remains who starts alongside the last two in the back and front court.

As Tyler Herro is out to start the season with an ankle/foot injury, it leaves a spot open for a starting point guard, with the two choices Spoelstra seems to be pondering over being Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith . Mitchell had been starting in the preseason ever since he came back from a calf strain, but Smith has usually been the first off the bench to work with the starters.

Mitchell told ClutchPoints on Thursday that it doesn't matter if he starts or not, citing his play off the bench during last season, where he brought a spark to the second unit. Spoelstra will have to debate amongst himself and the coaching staff about the importance of Mitchell's play-making ability working better off the starters or even the second unit.

Smith is coming off another season-ending injury, but has been a full-go in the preseason and looks to also be a crucial component to the team's rotation. Before the Achilles injury, Smith played impressive minutes off the bench, but the question is if it'll be enough to start, unless Spoelstra believes Mitchell can help the bench more.

If the preseason is any indication, Mitchell is the starter, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him as the first or second player off the bench when the regular season starts.

Heat with front-court decision, plus roster cuts made

Another storyline has surrounded Heat star Kel'el Ware and the expectations for his sophomore season , especially regarding whether he will start or not. Ware impressed last season as a rookie, starting the majority of the second half of the season, but with the emphasis on a faster-paced offense, Jovic has been getting the start along with Adebayo in the front court.

It wasn't until the last few preseason games that Ware recorded minutes with Adebayo, which could signal that Jovic will start to begin the season. While it remains to be seen what the lineups look like, Miami made some cuts that will be made official Saturday before the Monday deadline to go from the preseason maximum of 21 players to 18 in the regular season.

The Heat waived Ethan Thompson , Dain Dainja, Bez Mbeng, and Precious Achiuwa , which will surprise most fans since he reunited with the team last month on a non-guaranteed contract. Jahmir Young wasn't cut and is likely to receive the third two-way contract.

Before the news, Spoelstra spoke about how tough the conversations are to have with players.

"We try to communicate that as much upfront as possible," Spoelstra said after the preseason loss to Memphis. "It always is tough for a player to manage that, translate it in the moment, but it's a transition, and I think guys now, they come to us, they understand what our player development program is, and when you go to Sioux Falls, it literally is an extension of what we do here as the lifeblood of our player development. So I think that's been communicated better, but it's always tough when you have to have those conversations."

At any rate, Miami looks ahead to the regular season opener on Oct. 22 against the Magic.

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