MIAMI – As the Miami Heat are looking to get the best versions of their newcomers such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson, there's no denying how crucial the preseason is for the team compared to prior years. While Antetokounmpo and Thompson continue to get acclimated to the Heat, head coach Erik Spoelstra would give insight into the approach in the preseason with the new faces.

Aside from stars Antetokounmpo and Thompson, the roster turnover also includes Tim Hardaway Jr., Bobby Portis Jr., rookie Ryan Conwell, and Nick Richards, as these players could be in line for extended minutes in the regular season. However, Spoelstra would downplay to ClutchPoints that this preseason will be approached differently than in previous years.

“I mean, it feels like we have guys that are familiar, you know, from what we're doing, and then we're incorporating the new guys. It's not different from, I guess, like everybody else in the league,” Spoelstra said before Thursday's home preseason opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. “We're just, you know, in the middle of our process right now.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about if he’s approaching the preseason differently than previous years with the roster turnover with Giannis, Klay, etc.: #Heat pic.twitter.com/h0WyDYXiBh

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) October 8, 2026

Heat's Erik Spoelstra downplays point guard depth concern

Not available for Thursday's game were Pelle Larsson (illness), Dru Smith (calf), and Keshad Johnson (hamstring), as the first two names, notably Smith's absence, put a dent in the depth at point guard. Aside from Davion Mitchell and Smith, it's hard to find a true point guard on the team, as rookies Conwell and Tre Donaldson have been working on initiating offense.

Though with the Heat playing a lot of positionless basketball, Spoelstra is confident Miami can “make it work.”

“We're going to be able to make it work. We have enough guys that can put the ball on the floor, initiate offense, attack,” Spoelstra said. “Like, I'm looking at more like, can we get to the good things? Can we get to our strengths? And I feel we'll be able to do that with the starting unit, whatever that ends up being, and the second unit, what we've looked at in the preseason. I think we're going to be able to do that. Will it be perfect? Nothing ever is perfect, but I like the strengths. I like the things that we can get to.”

Erik Spoelstra would downplay any issues on point guard depth, saying they have “enough guys” that can put the ball on the floor and initiate offense. #Heat pic.twitter.com/7HfvtrSA4g

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) October 8, 2026

Heat's Bam Adebayo to be utilized more as “hub” in preseason

As mentioned, the Heat have been used to having multiple players in one lineup to have the ability to enter the team's offense and run the floor, as aside from Antetokounmpo and Mitchell in the starting lineup, Bam Adebayo has been doing it for years.

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While Adebayo was more of a “recipient” in the preseason opener last Saturday in the 129-105 win over the Toronto Raptors, recording 10 points, six rebounds, and zero assists, his role as a playmaking hub will be utilized more.

“He had opportunities, and he'll continue to have those opportunities; he was more the recipient in that first preseason game,” Spoelstra said. “There'll be games where he will be the hub, where we'll be able to run offense through him, and sometimes that may be him at the top of the floor where we're cutting and doing actions like that that we used to do. But other times it'll be when he's driving and attacking, and guys are moving off of him, kind of like we saw in Game One when Giannis was putting the ball on the floor. It'll be a combination of a few things.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen how much we'll see of the regulars for the rest of the preseason, as the projected starters in Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, Thompson, Mitchell, and Andrew Wiggins once again began Thursday's game.