MIAMI — We have seen several iterations of theMiami Heat in Pat Riley's more than three decadesin South Florida.
From Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning; to Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal; to the Big Three of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh; to Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler.
The next phase, and likely final in the 81-year-old Riley's long illustrious career, is an overhaul that brought a new nucleus led by Giannis Antetokounmpoto join the one untouchable player on the roster: Bam Adebayo.
"I think it feels like a natural turning of the page for a lot of us," said Erik Spoelstra, entering his 19th season as the Heat's head coach.
"It just felt like the appropriate time to start something new. A new journey, a new team. And I think for a lot of the players
coming in, coincidentally, I think they feel the same way."
It all begins at Florida Atlantic University, where the Heat will hold training camp starting Tuesday, Sept. 29, before their preseason opener Oct. 3 against Toronto in Quebec City. The regular season starts Oct. 21 at home against Minnesota.
"The excitement around the team, you feel the energy, you feel the shift," Adebayo said.
Arrival of Giannis Antetokounmpo completely changed Heat expectations
That all started with the long-awaited arrival of Antetokounmpo, which began to feel inevitable as the rumors and reports got stronger in the off-season.
Then there are the complementary pieces such as Bobby Portis Jr. (who arrived in the Giannis trade), Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson.
And the retention of Andrew Wiggins, Pele Larsson, Davion Mitchell and Simone Fontecchio.
But for Spoelstra, it all centers around Giannis and Bam becoming the most feared and versatile big-man combination in the NBA.
"We brought him here for a reason," Spoelstra said about Antetokounmpo. "We want him to establish himself as in that conversation of the best player in the league. And that can be debated in a lot of different ways, but we're not bringing him here to take a step back."
Antetokounmpo is up for the challenge. The two-time MVP and 10-time All-Star is not ducking from his role as the focus of this team. He was asked if he considers himself the best player in the world.
"Yeah, I really do believe that," he said. "If not the best, I'm one of the best players in the world. I know when I'm at my best, when I'm locked in, when my body is right, I really do believe that I can dominate the game and I can impact the game in both ways, offensively and defensively. I think I've showed it over the years."
And while the mind quickly goes to the offensive end with visions of the 6-foot-11 forward with a 7-foot-3 wingspan spinning into the lane for a dunk, Antetokounmpo's biggest impact — especially pairing with Adebayo — will be defensively.
Miami has been in the top 10 defensively in nine of the last 11 seasons. The Heat are coming off one of those down seasons, a year that ended with Miami missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19.
Spoelstra isn't sure what the final product will look like, but he knows it will start at FAU with the basics.
"Even though the game has evolved, the tenets and most important thing still remain the same," Spoelstra said. "You got to win the paint. You got to dominate the areas at the rim first and foremost. And I know everybody talks about the pace and the space and the 3-point shooting, but if you're getting annihilated in the paint, that's just gonna open up everything else.
"So a good starting point are two physical, rugged frontcourt players where it matters to them. So you can build your defense inside out, just like Pat and I always was talking about for decades now."
A "physical, rugged frontcourt" that will make this defense elite.
"I feel like we can get to the number one defensive," Adebayo said. "We're a fast team. Not only are we fast, we're switchable. We talk. We communicate. Everybody can guard their yard. And that's 1 through 5."
When Antetokounmpo was talking about being the best player in the world, he pivoted to what it means. He added the true best player is the one who helps his team achieve greatness, win a title. That is how you build a legacy.
"Ranking number one is great," he said. "I don't think in 20, 30 years from now I'm going to show my kids that. But if you go to the trophy case and show them, 'hey, we actually won the whole thing ...'
"You know what I'm saying? And that's what it's about for me. I don't care about being the best, I care about being a winner."
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Heat training camp: Giannis Antetokounmpo brings new hope
