00:00Well, from the days of three-on-three basketball to slicing his finger open in tennis on the clay
00:07to barely seeing him, my longtime friend Eric Reid, the Miami Heat, play-by-play voice.
00:14Those years, they were a long time ago, weren't they, brother?
00:17We've been together.
00:18Yeah, I can still feel that shoulder pain, though, from that pickup game
00:22when you sent me flying into the bleachers.
00:25Were you that good a blocker when you played?
00:27No, that's the best blocker.
00:29If I'd have done that, I'd have been playing a lot more of what I did to you.
00:33And by the way, the worst part is I go, no, I'm going to keep playing.
00:37And Ira, God bless Ira Winderman.
00:38He goes, I'll take him to the hospital.
00:40Yeah, I was like, no, we're going to keep this game going.
00:43Just get some ice on it, Eric.
00:45Get some ice on it.
00:46Hey, man, this is – people are pumped up, man.
00:49Bam and Giannis, they see all the great stuff ESPN's doing this morning,
00:53really hyping up the team.
00:54But, boy, it's got a brand-new look with some veterans on it.
00:58And seeing those guys, you've got to see it up close in the preseason.
01:03How do you feel about it as it – and we don't know until I know they get out
01:07and play, but, boy, just the names on the back of the jerseys.
01:10People are excited.
01:12Joe, it is a great excitement from the outside looking in.
01:16But I think what's more exciting is how this team in that locker room feels.
01:22I think the bonding and the cohesion began when Bam and Davion Mitchell got the team
01:27together a couple weeks prior to camp out in Los Angeles.
01:31But this is a very connected group for a team that was put together in the offseason.
01:39They're excited about it.
01:40And the preseason, you know, I don't want to take too much out of it
01:44because preseasons don't mean that much.
01:47But just the way the Heat were able to score in the three games that the starters played,
01:52I mean, you had three different halves of over 70 points.
01:56I think four quarters of over 40 points.
01:59The scoring looked like it came easily.
02:03So, listen, you know, the predictions are all over the place for how this team is going to do.
02:10Nobody knows.
02:11I think this year it's harder to pick a top six in the East going into the season than maybe
02:16ever.
02:16So, we don't know.
02:18But we know how it feels and how it's looked.
02:21And we're going to start finding out, you know, tonight.
02:23And, you know, I've been looking at these first two games for weeks.
02:26You talk about a great test to see where you are initially.
02:30You've got a Minnesota team that won 49 games two straight years.
02:34They've been to the Western Conference Finals two of the last three years.
02:38They're new, too.
02:39I mean, you know, Nas Reed and Julius Randle are gone.
02:43LaMelo Ball is now Anthony Edwards' backcourt partner.
02:46So, how well is that going to work out?
02:48No, nobody has the answers yet.
02:51But the answers come quickly.
02:52And come...
02:58Even with...
02:59...
03:00...
03:00...
03:01...
03:01...
03:02...
03:32How about you?
03:36I know.
03:41You can't.
03:42You can't.
03:44Seen from.
03:45He fit in.
03:47To see.
03:49As a factor and a wild card.
03:52And I think he's ready for the real thing at this point in his career.
03:57You know, from what we saw of him in the preseason, Joe,
04:01physically and mentally, I would say this young man got stronger in the offseason.
04:05He had a great offseason, as he has in the last couple of years,
04:09playing for the Serbian national team.
04:12You know, like Bam and Giannis, the thing he has in common with them,
04:16he can rebound and he can advance the ball on his own and be a playmaker.
04:20He's very skilled.
04:22Nobody's ever doubted that.
04:23I like the way he handled himself with his poise and maturity.
04:28He didn't hang his head.
04:29There was no bad body language.
04:31What there was was a young man that started to finish the ball better in the
04:36basket area.
04:37And that'll only help him.
04:39Listen, I think Bobby Portis is probably going to be Spoh's first big man off the
04:43bench.
04:44But if Jovic can come through, he's the next big off the bench,
04:48and he would just make the Heat that much better and deeper.
04:52And I'm hoping it happens for him.
04:54I think if it's going to happen, this is the year for it to happen.
04:57One thing the Heat have always talked about, and they've got some guys that can back it
05:01up, because when you talk about defense and how good Bam, we know how good he's been.
05:06Giannis, Wiggins, Clay Thompson in his prime was really good with Golden State.
05:11He's always been a great three-point shooter.
05:13But he could defend before the injuries, and Davion Mitchell has been great.
05:17How well do you expect them to play defensively, that starting five?
05:22I think they will be a strong defensive team.
05:25I mean, you just mentioned the names.
05:27You know, four of the five starters.
05:29I'm going to leave Clay out for now.
05:31The other four guys are outstanding defenders.
05:35So, you know, this is a team going into the last preseason game.
05:38They were scoring 131 points a game.
05:41Remember, they averaged 120 a game last year without Giannis.
05:46They're still playing really fast.
05:49Joe, I think the defense and the rebounding, I think, are the two factors that could set
05:54Miami apart.
05:55Because if you think about it, they averaged 120 a game last year.
05:59It was the most in franchise history.
06:01It was the second most in the league last season.
06:04Yet, the bottom line was, they did not make the playoffs.
06:08So, it's more than just how many points you can put on the board.
06:11You know, I look at rebounding duos in heat history.
06:14You know what duo had the most collective rebounds in a single season?
06:18Nobody will ever guess it.
06:20No.
06:21Ronnie Cycli and Grant Long.
06:23They have two of the top three rebounding seasons in heat history.
06:27The other rebounding duo that's in there was Shaq and UD.
06:31I look at Bam and Giannis, and to me, you know, I'm seeing what I anticipate to be the best
06:38rebounding duo in the 38, now going on 39-year history of this franchise.
06:43And Giannis is a guy that, you know, even though he is unselfish, you know, you've got to expect
06:49him to score 25 to 30 points a night.
06:51That's his norm.
06:52He's been at over 27 points a game for eight straight years.
06:5630 or more a game, three of the last four seasons.
07:00We saw how he gets downhill in the preseason firsthand, and he's a great finisher, but he's
07:07also, everybody, the word of the preseason was gravity.
07:10The gravity he creates, because you can't single cover him.
07:14So, he's going to find open guys.
07:17You know, in adding Tim Hardaway and Clay Thompson, you know, these are two guys, Joe, that both
07:23had over 200 made threes last year.
07:26You know how many times the Heat have had two players on one team that both had 200
07:32threes or more?
07:33It's never happened.
07:34It might this year.
07:36Yeah, no, no.
07:37Listen, it's great.
07:38Hey, I wanted to ask you, speaking of the East, the Philly Five, as they're calling them
07:43last night, they're going to be fun, by the way.
07:45I can't wait to see it.
07:46I hope they can all play when they come down here.
07:49You're going to get a chance to see them on the road as well, but what did you think
07:52of LeBron and his new teammates?
07:55I was impressed, Joe.
07:57You know, and there will be some bumps and some growing pains, and like everybody else,
08:03their key guys need to stay healthy.
08:05Right.
08:05But it's impressive to see that group.
08:07I mean, there's so many weapons.
08:11Yeah, impressive.
08:12Yeah.
08:12Impressive.
08:14I can't wait to see.
08:15I agree with you.
08:16The East has never been more open, and we got a little taste of it last night.
08:21You know, the team, the Celtics, and what they're going to look like without Brown, and Tatum
08:25did not play well last night, had a rough game, but they had the big lead, and like you said,
08:31the Pistons just crushed it in the second half.
08:34My God, 23 straight points there and going crazy.
08:38So anyways, you look at it, what would be the biggest, biggest thing, and I know guys
08:43got to play together, and it's not going to be at its best in game one here.
08:47What would be the biggest thing you would be concerned with, with the group?
08:50Would it be just health of veteran players?
08:53Right now, yeah.
08:54You know, Giannis and Bam to stay healthy, and all the front line guys to do that.
08:58And I don't know, Joe.
09:00You know, we'll see where the strengths and maybe vulnerabilities are.
09:05Every team has both, and we'll see where it's at.
09:08But from a starting point, Joe, there's a lot to be excited and intrigued about.
09:14And, you know, while the Heat are much better than they were a year ago, so is the competition
09:19in the conference around them.
09:21So you put those two things together, and what I love about it going into it, Joe, is
09:25you know, when you play 82 games, and that's a lot, right?
09:30Yes.
09:30When you feel like every one of them is going to be meaningful, and every game you play in
09:34the East is going to be cutthroat, competitive, it's must-see viewing.
09:40And everybody, you know, most people don't pay attention to the standings until the All-Star
09:45break.
09:45You know, I'm going to be watching those standings every single night, as I always do, because
09:51how little will separate, you know, the top ten teams in the East, so they all matter.
09:56Winning at home, I think, is a great indicator of the strength that you're doing.
10:00You know, only once in the last 12 years have the Heat had 30 wins or more at home, and
10:07only once in the last 12 years, 50 wins or more in a season.
10:10I think you've got to do one before you can do the other.
10:13That's always been my formula.
10:14You've got to win 30 at home, and then split, you know, go 500 on the road, there's your
10:1850 wins.
10:19It's going to be hard to do that in the East, and I'm real curious on how many teams will
10:24be able to do that in the East, and I certainly hope the Heat is one of those teams.
10:28Oh, absolutely, man.
10:30But the moves they made, I give those guys in the front office, Riley and all the rest
10:35of them, Andy and Nick and Mickey and the whole gang, and the guys we don't talk about
10:39really to get these moves made, I think, was just absolutely fantastic in the offseason.
10:45Hey, Eric, thank you, brother.
10:46Really appreciate it.
10:47How about the new relationship with WPLG Channel 10, man?
10:51I was shocked to see it.
10:52Excited about it, Joe.
10:53So people can just watch the games for free.
10:55We've got a channel in the Palm Beach area to serve the Palm Beaches, and hopefully we'll
11:00be out on the West Coast real soon, you know, Fort Myers and that market.
11:04But everyone wants to watch this team, and we can't wait for it to get started tonight.
11:09And Joe, thank you for avoiding any conversation about that football game coming up on Sunday.
11:14Hey.
11:16Are you kidding?
11:18Like the deck chairs are already starting to get wet on both of those ships right now.
11:23I can see Bob with shoes in already when we see each other.
11:26He goes, does it always have to be like this?
11:30I go, I don't know.
11:32I hope not.
11:34Eric, thank you, brother.
11:35I'll talk to you soon.
11:36You bet.
11:37Looking forward to it.
11:38Thanks for having us, and enjoy the season, Heat Nation.
11:40All right.
11:41Eric Reid, Miami Heat play-by-play voice of your Miami Heat.
11:46WPLG is going to carry the games on Channel 10, and he is a big Jets fan.
11:51He is.
11:52He's a big Jets fan, too.
