MIAMI — Michael Malone can’t help but admire the asset recently reactivated from his opponents’ bench.
Kevin Love’s addition to the Heat starting lineup helped Miami even the NBA Finals after Love hadn’t played the previous three games, including the series-opener in Denver. Malone said Wednesday before Game 3 that he felt Miami coach Eric Spoelstra made the change to combat Denver’s size advantage, but the Nuggets coach also pointed out the importance of Love’s unflappable experience for Miami.
“A guy that’s been on this stage before, so you know he’s not going to be rattled,” Malone said. “… Give K-Love credit, man. That guy is a journeyman. He’s really impacted this team with his professionalism, maturity, and the 3-point shooting, the rebounding, the outlet passing.”
Love played in four Finals for the Cavaliers, winning the 2016 championship.
However, Malone made sure to point out, it’s not like the Love adjustment is the difference in the series; “Let’s be honest, the guy that he replaced could have been the Eastern Conference (Finals) MVP. So it’s not like Caleb Martin is not a good player.”
Possible coach’s challenge rule change
Spoelstra is delighted by the idea of implementing a one-and-one free throw styled system of coach’s challenges in the NBA, but he does have one essential gripe.
President of league operations Byron Spruell said Wednesday on ESPN that there’s a chance the NBA will pivot to a new challenge rule. The idea is that if a team’s first challenge is successful at overturning a call, then the team earns a second challenge to be used at a later point in the game. The current setup is a strict one-challenge policy.
As Spoelstra was informed of that and asked if coaches have clamored for it, the Heat coach let out an excited, “ooh.”
“Yes. I think that would be good,” he said. “I don’t know what the unintended consequences are. But I always feel like if I burn one whenever, early in a game and you win it, it’s like, ‘Oh, geez, I would like to have another one.’”
Well, there is at least one consequence that occurred to him on the spot.
“If that is the case,” he said, “then all the players starting the first minute of the game…”
Spoelstra twirled his finger in the air, imitating players gesturing that a call requires replay review.
“I hate that, as well,” he said.
Spoelstra on Jokic’s IQ
Three nights after Spoelstra rejected the idea of Nikola Jokic “being reduced to a scorer or a passer,” Spoelstra expanded on his appreciation for Jokic’s basketball IQ.
“That’s why it transcends scheme,” Spoelstra said. “It really becomes a mentality. Our guys love to compete. … When you’re dealing with seven-game series and each round it gets a little bit tougher, this is the ultimate challenge. It’s a great team. They have really good habits. Jokic can manipulate your defense in so many different ways that I can’t even get into. You just have to embrace that competition and find a way to overcome it regardless of how difficult it can be.”
Herro update
Heat guard Tyler Herro is scheduled for another full-contact workout Thursday, between Games 3 and 4, but he still has not been medically cleared to play. Spoelstra said that if Herro is eventually cleared, he doesn’t “necessarily” think of it as a situation where it would be unfair to the team to add someone to lineup so late in a successful playoff run.
