MIAMI – With the Miami Heat looking to reach its ceiling, it's going to take a full-team effort led by the team's new dynamic duo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. As the Heat duo showed dominance in the 133-121 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night in NBA Cup group play action, a key part of the victory was rookie Ryan Conwell, who continues to carve out a critical role with the team.
As Antetokounmpo and Adebayo each recorded 37 points and Davion Mitchell was exceptional with a whopping 17 assists, Conwell produced a career-high 20 points on six of 12 shooting from the field and five of nine from three-point range. To go along with five rebounds and two assists, the guard has found an early rhythm with the team and has already gained the trust of head coach Erik Spoelstra and the coaching staff.
Heat's Giannis Antetokounmpo calls Ryan Conwell a “hooper”
With Miami still looking to find the right rotation, the last five games have seen Conwell as one of the first people off the bench, as he's averaged 23.9 minutes per game in that stretch. Friday saw Conwell record a career-high 33 minutes as he flowed well on offense and spacing the floor, while providing intensity on defense, holding his own against the likes of James Harden in the win over the Cavs.
Antetokounmpo shared his love for Conwell after the big win, explaining how he's impressed him and why he's a “hooper.”
“Ryan, I love,” Antetokounmpo said. “Plays hard. He works hard. That's the most important thing, I think, for a rookie. It's a back-to-back. He came last night; yesterday, practice worked hard. After practice, he worked hard again. Today, this morning, he came in. He was already on the court, working hard, playing, shooting.”
“He has a great approach towards the game,” Antetokounmpo continued. “Obviously, he's very talented; he's going to help us a lot. He helped us a lot tonight and in the previous games that we played, and we're going to need it throughout the whole season. But for me. I just love that he has this mindset of getting better every single day, and I know it’s only going to get better for him, and it's going to be April, May, or June. He's going to be a better player.”
Giannis says he loves Ryan Conwell, calls him a “hooper.” Goes into what impresses him the most about the rookie: #Heat pic.twitter.com/e4suVREnnm
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 14, 2026
Heat's Bam Adebayo explains early comfort with Ryan Conwell
Even if a rookie has the raw talent, it's still rare to see a rookie, especially a second-round pick, play this comfortably with a team 10 games into their NBA career, though the Heat have had many diamonds in the rough before, recently with Pelle Larsson. However, Adebayo would say to ClutchPoints that comfort comes from the “camaraderie” being built off the court.
“I mean, that's the camaraderie of it. You know that's a big part of it,” Adebayo said. “He doesn't look uncomfortable because we hang out a lot. So when you get cool with people off the floor, you know it makes the game really easier. We can have a simple conversation…He's playing hard. He's doing all the right things, and obviously, coaches are starting to trust him.”
Asked Bam Adebayo about seeing Ryan Conwell get comfortable with the #Heat in his 10th game:
“I mean that's the camaraderie of it. You know, that's a big part of it. He doesn't look uncomfortable because we hang out a lot. So when you get cool with people off the floor, it… pic.twitter.com/tkryDMjKHQ
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 14, 2026
Conwell came into the Heat known for his three-point shooting ability, shooting 38 percent from deep in his collegiate career, and while his last season at Louisville had him shoot 34.5 percent from beyond the arc, it came on a whopping 9.6 attempts per game. Now in the NBA, Conwell credits his early success not just to the work he's put in, but the “amazing players” that are around him.
“I mean, just confidence just from the work I've been putting in, and you know, I play with just some amazing players, so they make it easy for me when I'm out there on the floor, and just trusting what my vets are telling me, and you know, my coaches just go out there and just play,” Conwell said.
Article Continues BelowRyan Conwell spoke tonight about getting a career-high 20 points, working with vets like Klay and Tim Jr., etc: #Heat
I mean, just the confidence just from the work I’ve been putting in, and I play with just some amazing players, so they make it easy for me when I'm out there… pic.twitter.com/hX1fqAtCgr
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 14, 2026
Heat's Ryan Conwell on the players helping him along the way
Conwell expressed after a career night that he's getting more comfortable with the Heat, emphasizing how he is “understanding the flow of the game.” Known as a sharpshooter, there's no denying that it helps to be around players like Klay Thompson, known as one of the best three-point shooters ever.
“I would say it helps a lot just being able to watch him,” Conwell said. “Obviously, you know, just coming in with the second unit, seeing just how he operates in the game and how he works every single day. You know, I aspire to accomplish, you know, things just like him. So, just learning from the greatest.”
Thompson has praised Conwell all offseason heading into the regular season, even saying during training camp several weeks ago that the rookie beat him in a shooting drill one time. Also helping Conwell is Tim Hardaway Jr., and while the veteran guard has seen his minutes drop in exchange for the rookie, he's also been helping the first-year player.
Oh yeah, Tim's been great,” Conwell said to ClutchPoints. “Just every single day, you know, he's always talking to me, just helping me, just with things. He's talking to me in the game, you know, just staying engaged. I mean, he's just been a great vet, and I appreciate him a lot.”
At any rate, it remains to be seen how Conwell's role with the Heat continues to progress, and if Miami struck gold once again on a second-round pick.