Miami Heat Takeaways Vs Atlanta: Jaquez flashing, more

Coming into this game against Atlanta, the Heat were 0-4 in preseason. Usually that means pretty much nothing with all of the fluctuating lineups and young guys, but on a night the Heat were treating like a dress rehearsal, Miami showed signs of struggle against the inexperienced Hawks. They gave up 35 points in the first quarter, in comparison to the Heat's 24 points. A ton of turnovers, defense wasn't clicking, and just a ton of general scrambles. Do these reoccurring signs mean it's time to overreact? It's tough to say, since we did see the Heat turn it right back around in the second quarter behind transition points and forcing turnovers themselves. But one overarching problem for the Herro-less Heat continues to loom: three point shooting. They remain 33rd (yes 33rd) in three point attempts this preseason, and the efficiency has been just as poor. When it comes to overreaction talk, the one area that it's understandable to worry about is everything behind the arc. Who can be the guy not named Norman Powell to shoot above their head from deep?

2. Jaime Jaquez Jr seriously seems to be finding his groove.

Jaime Jaquez Jr has been a hot topic this preseason as many are waiting to see if he can emerge back to his rookie year ways. And it's clear the Heat are providing a lane to him getting back to that. Jaquez put together a 12 point first half on 5 of 7 shooting, and the key factor is he's doing it on the ball by putting his head down and attacking the basket. No more settling for off the catch threes. He's simply getting to his spots, working that pump-fake or pivot, and making quick decisions. It's also evident that he understands the "get out and run" style as much as anybody. They're going to need rotation players to consistently sustain lineups through transition opportunities, and he's showing real on-ball flashes of it. The hope is this translates to the regular season, because there's no doubt they could use this version of Jaquez Jr to kick off the year.

3. Bam Adebayo-Kel'el Ware pairing? Dru Smith over Davion Mitchell? The latest lineup trends.

After not getting a minute of Bam Adebayo next to Kel'el Ware all preseason, they started in the front-court together due to missing Nikola Jovic still. We didn't get to see it for long though, as Adebayo came up hobbled after banging knees to begin the second half, leaving him sidelined the rest of the night due to a right knee contusion. And to be completely honest, I think Coach Spoelstra has already made his front-court decision, and it leans in the direction of Jovic. But the other interesting lineup decision involved the point guard spot, as Dru Smith started the game instead of Davion Mitchell. Could this simply be the coaching staff getting a look at different combinations? Yes, but Spo usually doesn't do things without a purpose. It seems like they're trying to possibly keep Mitchell in his sixth man role that he'll be playing when Herro returns, so Smith can slot in as the placeholder. We shall see if it sticks.