Three hits from Miami Heat’s scrimmage: Whiteside, Green, Winslow

The Miami Heat are banking on a full breakout campaign from their young center after the vast potential he flashed over 48 games last season. And since last season ended, Bosh and Josh McRoberts got healthier, Wade and Dragic re-signed and a few bench roles were filled at bargain prices by Amar’e Stoudemire and Gerald Green.

After three weeks of inactivity, Hassan Whiteside finally made his return to the court. “Then every ounce of energy and focus was about trying to do whatever we had to do to build this team up and have an opportunity to do something special”. “I’m really excited I got to practice”.

The goal from the outset of this preseason for the Miami Heat has been continuity, so that had Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic and Luol Deng starting both ends of this back-to-back set that opened with Saturday night’s exhibition road victory over the Houston Rockets. “Now it’s about finding a way and finding that way together”. Odds are, he’ll be in the top 50 before long. Holiday did not appear at any point during the game, and with players like Lamar Patterson receiving extended time, that is a story line worth monitoring, even if it was a planned absence that simply went unpublicized. It’s still not clear how severe the injury is, but the Heat are obviously going to be cautious with the season quickly approaching.

“We still have nine days to get to another level”, coach Erik Spoelstra said, with the Heat’s regular-season opener on October 28 at AmericanAirlines Arena against the Charlotte Hornets. Dragic was No. 2 on that list at almost 68 percent, and he was helped by exactly zero dunks.

-When Whiteside goes out, the Heat lose a defensive presence when Amare comes in who lacks the lateral quickness on defense. It certainly could happen at times, and if it does the Heat will have a true rarity with five left-handed shooters on the floor at one time. “I think it’s time for the entire National Basketball Association family to give back and give our thoughts and prayers, and kind of positive group-think to him right now”. The only Heat player to shoot that well last season was Chris Bosh. LaMarcus Aldridge, who was acquired by San Antonio during the free agency season, topscored for the Spurs with 17.