MIAMI — Yes, Noah LaRoche is still on Erik Spoelstra’s staff, the Miami Heat have confirmed. So more of the same relentless offensive pace and player movement from the Heat this coming season, even with Giannis Antetokounmpo aboard?
As in playing at a league-leading pace, as was the case last season? As in fewer than half as many pick-and-roll sequences as the next closest team in the NBA?
“I think a lot of that was overstated,” Spoelstra said in the wake of Antetokounmpo’s introduction, of the system the Heat adopted last season. “It was really more about the principles, and the principles were to open up driving lanes for our guys.
“It worked really well as the guys got comfortable with it. We were top three in all the aggressive driving metrics. And I think that only increases on steroids when you have somebody like Giannis.”
Which brings it back to LaRoche, who previously helped run his “chasing space” offensive system with the Memphis Grizzlies before bringing it to the Heat last season.
Of LaRoche, Spoelstra said last season, “He’s really an innovative coaching mind. I love to talk hoops. And I’ve really enjoyed, and our staff has really enjoyed, our discussions with him. He’s just been a fun addition to the staff.”
Seemingly out of respect to his assistant coaches, Spoelstra limited his comments on LaRoche and LaRoche’s contributions to last season’s offense, which had the Heat first in scoring in the Eastern Conference and second in the league behind only the Denver Nuggets.
While the Heat declined to make LaRoche available for comment, he did spell out some of his concepts in an interview with the Slapping Glass podcast.
“Everything is about managing space: Chasing space when you have the ball, chase space when you’re off the ball, chase space. That encompasses all these other things that create great offense and create great defense,” LaRoche said.
“Elite players, they don’t think about the move they’re going to make. They find space and they get there and then from that the move actually emerges.”
So more of the same?
Spoelstra said at least to a degree.
“The principles will probably be something we’ll lean into,” Spoelstra said. “But the playbook might look a little differently, how we get into those principles. And we’re working on that right now.”
Since, after all, it is only July.
But Spoelstra also bristled at conversation that Bam Adebayo and Antetokounmpo are redundant in their playing styles.
“We can see why there would be that thought process,” Spoelstra said. “They operate in similar spaces. But they both want to make it work. You can do anything when your main objective is to try to win. Then you can figure out all the nuances and the subtle details of spacing and how to open up space for each other.
“They’re both obviously elite talents. So we want to get them to their strength zones. And there probably will be a little bit of an adjustment period. That’s normal. And we’ll work through it and do what we need to do.”
So perhaps some more “chasing space,” but also plenty of catering to Antetokounmpo.
“There’s no space that he hasn’t really conquered,” Spoelstra said of Antetkoumpo’s offensive repertoire. “We’ll try to find some other ways to maximize his gifts. But he’s pretty much done it all — pick-and-rolls at the top of the floor with bigs, pick-and-rolls with smalls, same thing on the wings.
“But I think more than anything it’s been his ability to force not a second defender, a third defender. And that creates a bunch of havoc to someone’s defense.
“We lived it. One extra defender is not enough. And then you get a third one and his willingness and his improvement with his passing over the years gets you in scramble mode.”
Then there is the flip side, and the Heat’s unique way of leaning into zone defense more than any other team.
“It’s always been a change-up for us,” Spoelstra said. “Some years we end up going to the change-up more like it’s a fastball. But that all depends. I don’t know. The team will let us know if we use it a lot or never use it.
“I think you could put Giannis in any defensive schematic. He’s going to make it work because of his size, agility. He’s smart. You have to game plan against him offensively.”
So, yes, unique talent on both ends, meaning more unique approaches forthcoming.
“We’ve faced him three times in the playoffs,” Spoelstra said of those Bucks-Heat playoff series. And that was one of the things that you better be prepared for. You can’t just only prepare for his attacks.
“You have to prepare for what he does defensively. And you have to spend time on that. Otherwise, he’s going to disrupt everything you’re trying to do.”