Oct 8, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (7) dunks against New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Oct 8, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (7) dunks against New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
In a preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans, one might question what knowledge there is to gain for a team like the Miami Heat. After a summer of change, that involved the arrival of NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, they are several tiers above the Pelicans in terms of competing for a championship.
Even so, tonight’s matchup provided an interesting glimpse at where this team stands heading into the season. Led by Antetokounmpo, who finished with a game-high 18 points, the Heat crushed a young Pelicans team (128-118) that’s finally healthy for the first time in years.
For New Orleans, all eyes were on Zion Williamson, who dropped eight points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal on 3/9 shooting from the field. He had help from Trey Murphy III, who finished with 11 points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal on 3/8 shooting. In the end, however, not even a cohesive, collective effort from the Pelicans could overcome the sheer firepower they faced.
As a team, the new-look Heat held their opponent to 44.0% shooting, while going 47.0% on their end. Despite losing the rebounding battle, their offense was surprisingly coherent, only committing 11 turnovers to the Pelicans’ 22. They also tallied 36 assists as a team, proving that their chemistry is strong.
Individually, it’s hard to be too critical or complimentary, but there was enough shown tonight to get every Heat fan excited for what’s to come.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: A+
Game Stats: 18 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 8-13 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-5 FT, 17 MIN
In the preseason, there’s no incentive for Giannis to go all-out and give maximum effort on offense. Nonetheless, he decided to dominate anyway, scoring 18 points in just 17 minutes of action. While you’d like to see Giannis knock some threes, it’s a good start that he looks acclimated to his new surroundings. On all fronts, he hasn’t lost a step from his heroics in Milwaukee.
Andrew Wiggins: A
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 4-5 FG, 1-1 3PT, 4-5 FT, 15 MIN
Andrew Wiggins is the x-factor for the Heat this season, and games like this show how well things can go when he’s at the top of his game. He scored 13 points in 15 minutes, on highly efficient shooting from the field. He was aggressive and in attack mode all night, converting fouls into easy points.
Tre Donaldson: B+
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 5-8 FG, 2-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 14 MIN
If there’s anyone who surprised the most tonight, it’s Donaldson. The 22-year-old rookie isn’t playing with expectations, but he still came in and made a strong impression with 12 points, leading all bench scorers in his debut. For anyone else, it might not be so impressive, but it carries extra weight being his first taste of official NBA action.
Myron Gardner: B+
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 3-6 FG, 3-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, 14 MIN
Myron Gardner is still finding his place in the rotation, but more performances like this will surely earn him Erik Spoelstra’s favor. Tonight, his scoring was timely and poised, providing much-needed perimeter shooting for his team. Plus, with three steals, he showed off a level of game sense that will demand a bigger role.
Bam Adebayo: B
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3-5 FG, 1-1 3PT, 2-3 FT, 16 MIN
Bam Adebayo impressed in the limited minutes he got on the court. It’s always an adjustment learning to play sidekick behind a superstar like Giannis, but Bam looked completely comfortable. He played his game without any hesitation tonight, and it was the perfect complement to everything Giannis brought to the table.
Tim Hardaway Jr.: B
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 4-8 FG, 2-6 3PT, 1-3 FT, 19 MIN
Tim Hardaway Jr. will be a key piece off the bench, so it’s good that he had a good showing in today’s debut. He provided a steady hand on the perimeter and stayed aggressive to keep pressure on the defense. While his stat line isn’t anything special, he played his role and did what was needed, keeping the Heat’s offense going whenever they needed a spark.
Davion Mitchell: B
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 1 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3-5 FG, 1-1 3PT, 2-3 FT, 20 MIN
Davion Mitchell has been tapped as starting point guard for Miami, and he showed that he’s ready for the assignment. He only scored nine points, but it all came within the flow of the game, as he often deferred to his veteran teammates. With a game-high seven assists, he played the role of floor general, and the results were pretty solid.
Nikola Jovic: B-
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 3-8 FG, 2-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, 20 MIN
Heading into his fifth NBA season, the experience is adding up for Jovic, and it’s starting to show. He was confident on the floor and highly active, doing a little bit of everything. Ultimately, if not for his poor efficiency, Jovic would be rated much higher for how he was able to impact the game in other areas.
Nick Richards: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 9 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2-3 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, 14 MIN
You can’t judge Nick Richards too harshly in his first game ever with the Heat, but he played his role well enough off the bench. At 6’11, he’s one of Miami’s tallest players, and he showed it tonight with a team-high seven rebounds in 14 minutes. He didn’t play a major role in the game, but he made the most of what limited opportunities he had to score.
Bobby Portis: C
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 4-13 FG, 1-4 3PT, 2-3 FT, 19 MIN
We already know what to expect from championship big man Bobby Portis. Unsurprisingly, he played up to his usual standards tonight with his typical aggression and activity in the paint. The only catch is that he struggled to find a rhythm and was forcing shots at times. Fortunately, he knows how to be useful in other ways, as he demonstrated with his defensive numbers.
Simone Fontecchio: C-
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2-6 FG, 1-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, 14 MIN
Simone has all the skills to be a regular rotation player for the Heat this season, but his shot just wasn’t falling in this game. If he wants more minutes, he’ll have to be less streaky with his shooting going forward and deliver more consistently on the floor. At least he was somewhat active on the boards, proving he’s willing to do the dirty work for his team.
J’Vonne Hadley: C-
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2-5 FG, 1-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, 12 MIN
The Heat went deep into their bench tonight as Erik Spoelstra looks to thin out the rotation. As such, rookie J’Vonne Hadley was able to see some time on the floor tonight, where he showed brief flashes of his potential as a shooter. But with so much on his plate, Hadley barely made an imprint on this game, as he’s clearly still catching up to NBA speed.
Klay Thompson: D
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 2-7 FG, 1-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, 14 MIN
Klay Thompson came to the Heat for a fresh start (and the chance to win a title), but it’s just more struggles so far. Ever since leaving the Warriors, he’s been unable to properly find his game, and it didn’t look any better today. Not only was Klay not making his shots, but his selection was off as he tried to force himself into a rhythm.