The Miami Heat looked different from last season when they kicked off the NBA preseason against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. The roster now has Giannis Antetokounmpo as one of the key forces on the frontcourt.

During Antetokounmpo's preseason debut for the Heat, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra was impressed with his playmaking.

“With the size and the vision and his ability just to put it on the numbers, you know, to your shooters, is really impressive,” Coach Spo said. “You know, Pat was at practice all week, and the way he's played with the ball in his hands and delivering the ball reminds all of us of a great big point guard that played for Pat back in the '80s.”

Spo on Giannis' playmaking:

"With the size and the vision and his ability just to put it on the numbers, you know, to your shooters, is really impressive.

You know, Pat was at practice all week, and the way he's played with the ball in his hands and delivering the ball reminds… pic.twitter.com/mSRT0rGH3k

— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) October 4, 2026

Antetokounmpo recorded seven assists in just 14 minutes during Miami's 129-105 preseason win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. His passing stood out more than his nine points, and Spoelstra was particularly impressed by the way the 10-time All-Star created shots for his teammates.

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He also compared what he saw from the 31-year-old to a ‘great big point guard’ who played for Pat Riley in the 1980s. He was referring to Magic Johnson.

The Greek Freak’s seven assists led directly to 3-pointers. He connected with Andrew Wiggins four times, while Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell and Tim Hardaway Jr. also benefited from his passing.

Most of the assists came from a similar pattern. Antetokounmpo attacked the basket, drew attention from multiple defenders and kicked the ball out to an open teammate.

Against Toronto, he did not need a large scoring workload to influence the game. He shot 3-for-3 from the field, added four rebounds and made three of four free throws.

The Heat will continue their preseason schedule Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans.