BOCA RATON, Fla. – For the first time since Erik Spoelstra has been head coach, the Heat opened up Training Camp without Udonis Haslem.
The Heat’s captain retired after Miami’s run to the NBA Finals last season.
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Spoelstra said on Tuesday that the Heat will be naming a captain.
However, it was a bit different without hearing Haslem’s voice on the practice floor on campus at Florida Atlantic University.
Spoelstra said, “It is different. It’s an adjustment. Players are used to change. They’re used to locker rooms changing. The bigger adjustment is me. I’ve never had a locker room without UD and I’m always going to feel a certain way about that.”
Bam Adebayo said, “I think collectively we’ll handle it as a group. We do miss UD. When you’ve been around a guy with that much equity invested in almost the whole team. It is one of those moment where you don’t hear him and it settles in that he won’t be around... There will never be another UD. Just the utmost respect for him. I hope he’s somewhere with his feet kicked up relaxing.”
One of the other big questions around the Heat is who will start at point guard.
On Tuesday, veteran Kyle Lowry said that he anticipated having that role.
Last year, during the Heat’s Finals run, Gabe Vincent started and Lowry came off the bench.
Over the summer, Vincent signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Heat resume Training Camp on Wednesday in Boca Raton.
The practices are not open to the public.