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The Miami Heat will take on the Denver Nuggets in a late fixture on opening night of the 2021 NBA Summer League.
It will be an exciting game as both teams are evenly matched. The Denver Nuggets have a plethora of scoring options, especially from their rookies. However, 29-year-old Tarik Black will the one leading the team, with the hopes of making a return to the main roster following a three-year absence.
The Miami Heat will look to continue their impressive Summer League record following victories against the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors in the California Classic. Although the roster is filled with prospects, the Heat have a few players with NBA experience.
Match Details
Fixture: Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021.
Date & Time: Sunday, August 8th; 10:00 PM ET (Monday, August 9th; 7:30 AM IST).
Venue: Cox Pavilion, University of Las Vegas, NV.
Miami Heat Preview
The Miami Heat's Summer League roster was formerly made up of 15 players, including four NBA players. However, a sign-and-trade deal for Kyle Lowry saw Precious Achiuwa join the Toronto Raptors. To that effect, he will not suit up for the Miami Heat in the Summer League.
Regardless, the Miami Heat have three players with NBA experience on their roster. One player worthy of note is Gabe Vincent, who just returned from representing Team Nigeria at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Gabe resigned with the Miami Heat last season after he transitioned from being a two-way player but has not had enough minutes to prove himself as a top player. Leading the young Heat team to the championship will help make his case for increased playtime when the 2021-22 NBA season commences.
Key Player - Omer Yurtseven
Omer Yurtseven just signed a two-year $3.5 million standard contract with the Miami Heat. Although he was signed to a two-way contract earlier in the season, he did not feature for Miami.
Yurtseven has been the most effective Heat player on offense since the start of their Summer League campaign. He scored 27 points for the Miami Heat in each of the two wins over the Lakers and Warriors in the California Classic,.
Although he might be a liability on defense, his scoring would be a major boost for the Miami Heat in this competition. Another intriguing attribute of the 7"0 big man is his ability to shoot 3's.
Miami Heat Predicted Lineup
G - Dru Smith, G - Gabe Vincent, F - Max Strus, F - Micah Porter, C - Omer Yurtseven.
Denver Nuggets Preview
The Denver Nuggets have so much young talent and will be hoping to get the best out of them. Their main problem might be finding the right combination.
Regardless, facing a formidable team like the Miami Heat will require their best players to step up. Tarik Black, Bol Bol, and Zeke Nnaji are few explosive players that could bolster their Denver Nuggets' winning chance.
Caleb Agada showed bursts of brilliance when playing for the Nigerian Olympic men's basketball team. However, he has to be consistent with his production in the Summer League as it might be his pathway to signing a two-way deal with the Denver Nuggets.
Also Check out: Denver Nuggets Complete NBA Summer League Schedule
As stated earlier, getting these talents to produce as a team will be the main challenge for the Denver Nuggets. Head coach Charles Klask has his work cut out. Unfortunately, he has not had much time to work with the players as their mini-camp was cut short due to a COVID-19 scare.
Key Player - Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland
Nah'Shon Hyland was selected as the 26th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 2021 NBA Draft. The depth of this draft class has always been lauded, which is why a lot is expected from Hyland even though he was picked towards the end of Round 1.
Bones is lethal from three-point range, an area the Denver Nuggets will look to capitalize on. However, he needs to do a lot more work on other aspects of his game.
Nerves are expected to get to the rookie in his first official game for the Denver Nuggets. But he will quickly shake it off as he has embraced attention via social media since he was drafted.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
G - Markus Howard, G - Nah'Shon Hyland, F - Zeke Nnaji, F - Tarik Black, C - Bol Bol.
Nuggets vs Heat Prediction
Toppling the in-form Miami Heat will be a daunting task for the Denver Nuggets. However, the Nuggets are the superior team on paper.
It will be interesting to see how this matchup plays out, as both teams have stacked rosters. Regardless, the Denver Nuggets have enough to edge out the Miami Heat.
Where to watch Nuggets vs Heat game?
Fans in the US can watch this fixture on NBA TV. With an active NBA League Pass subscription, fans across the world can also enjoy the NBA Summer League as the Miami Heat take on the Denver Nuggets.
Guess the Lakers players!
