Q: Ira, the Heat better be ready with that opening schedule. Except for Charlotte, nothing is easy the first two weeks. - Wayne.
A: First of all, when you are coming off a 20th-place finish in the league and a 37-45 record, there will be plenty of games where you will be the underdog, often a decided underdog, over the course of the season, no matter the timing of those games. But, yes, you likely are correct that the Heat will be underdogs in those opening two weeks against the Magic, Grizzlies, Knicks, Spurs, Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets. That will make it paramount for the Heat to hit the ground running in camp and maximize those six preseason games. Erik Spoelstra often tinkers with his lineups and rotations during the early stages of the season. This time around, such tinkering could come at a cost. And it's not as if it will get any easier, with the third full week of the Heat's opening schedule featuring two games apiece against the Cavaliers (remember what they did against the Heat in last season's playoffs) and two against the Knicks. Interestingly, three of the Heat's four games against New York will be played over the first 14 games of the schedule. So who guards Jalen Brunson?
Q: Agree about the NBA Cup. Doesn't excite me in the least. Maybe the league can give bonuses to division leaders (players) at the season's midpoint to ensure games are competitive all season. - Pipsy.
A: You can trick up the schedule and the bonuses all you want, but the reality is remaining fresh for the playoffs and reducing injury risk during the regular season will remain the priority of both players and teams. Plus, for some, the lottery, at least from a team perspective, will remain the focus during the down times, as some teams already are making evident.
Q: Ira, explain how trading for G League rights works for the Heat? - Anderson.
A: It is a means of being able to then forward such a player to your G League affiliate after a camp tryout, thus the Heat's move for Ethan Thompson's G League rights from the Orlando Magic's affiliate. Basically, it allows for ongoing development within a single system. The Heat similarly have worked with other teams to transfer G League rights for former Skyforce players who are attempting to latch on with other NBA teams. There is both a business element and courtesy element in such transactions.