For Erik Spoelstra, supporting roles mean a lot

In the win against the Kings, executives from Heat – Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins – responded, as did complementary players. Especially Pelle Larsson (16 points and 9 assists), Simone Fontecchio (15 points, 7 rebounds) i Myron Gardner (5 points, 3 assists), each of which received complimentsErik Spoelstra.

“Gains confidence”, notes the Heat coach speaking of the first. “He does all the little important things very well. It’s a nice surprise. He’s good at rebounding, good at defense, good at moving without the ball. He makes an impact with or without the 3-point shot. When he’s hot, he can open doors.”continues about the Italian. “He brings us something now”concludes on the third, in the “two-way contract”. “He has opportunities thanks to injuries. Now we have to pay more attention to his performance. I love what he does, his energy is contagious.”

These are not just nice words to make his “role players” happy, but a desire to remind the Miami coach of the importance of these players in the group. We cannot win only with our starters and our stars and it is important that we have elements that think first and foremost of the team.

“Most young players, when they arrive in the league, don’t know the score of the games: they only think about the number of shots they will make, the number of points they will score. It is a lost art how to influence the victory. We have several players in this team who accept that and I thank them for having this maturity”notes Erik Spoelstra, who then digs through his career to find standout examples.

Accept that you are a cog in the machine

“Some players see this as a challenge to their talent, but that’s not the case. Shane Battier has made his entire career embracing this. He’s transformed good teams into great teams, thanks to all the things he’s been able to bring. Some fans don’t see it, but the fans and those close to the franchise see it right away. It’s more about the mentality you’re going to have, not finding the right skills. I used to quote PJ Tucker or Udonis Haslem. When you talk to rookies before their first start season, they could be case studies.

In order to prepare young players to accept their limits in order to better find their place in the group and be valuable despite everything.

“It’s an education in how to be able to influence wins without having to celebrate it, because everyone wants to be a 30-point forward, and few become one.”recalls the two-time NBA champion, who also the longest bench tenure in American sports. “There are a lot more players who should fall into this category of complementary players but don’t want to. It’s hard to find. We’ve been fortunate to have had a few over the years and again this season, and some very good ones.”