Heat’s Yurtseven on the possibilities as a stretch big. And Jamal Cain makes his case
The Heat faces decisions on two young players with expiring contracts - Omer Yurtseven and Jamal Cain - in the weeks ahead.
And if their most recent games were the final chance to make an impression, it was a favorable one.
After making only 1 of 12 three-pointers in his first 63 NBA games, Yurtseven hit 3 of 6 in the Heat’s final two games, which was rewarding affirmation after spending last summer shooting thousands of three-pointers in an attempt to expand this game.
“It was amazing,” he said of his three-point success to close the season. “I think those were the shots I’ll take consistently and make consistently as long as I keep working at it.”
Yurtseven, who is out of the Heat’s rotation, said he made about 400 three-pointers during every workout last August and September. SInce returning from ankle surgery in March, he said he has gone into the gym some nights to shoot hundreds of threes.
“It’s become a lot more natural,” he said. “I’ve tapped into my God given talents by putting myself under the stress of working on it.”
Erik Spoelstra spent considerable time experimenting with a Bam Adebayo/Yurtseven power-rotation pairing early in preseason - even starting them together in a scrimmage - before the 6-11 Yurtseven was shelved with an ankle injury that sidelined him for most of the season.
Though there were concerns about Yurtseven’s defense with that pairing, Spoelstra was intrigued, initially, because of Yurtseven’s rebounding skills and improvement as a three-point shooter.
Spoelstra always has preferred to pair Adebayo with a skilled three-point shooter.
Yurtseven, who appeared in nine games this season, will be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Heat would retain his rights only if Miami extends a $2.2 million qualifying offer by the end of June.
Though Miami likely will try to add an established player to start alongside Adebayo, Yurtseven hopes the improvement in his shooting range - combined with his gifts as a rebounder - gives Miami something to think about.
“Shot making is not an ability found easily and being a 7-footer and being able to make shots at that range [is an asset],” he said. “A lot of guys just stay in the paint and don’t want to come outside. It’s about being able to engage them and create overreactions. If I can hit a three, it gives us a lot of options.”
His defense remains a work in progress. Since his return, players that he guarded have shot 20 for 36 (55.6 percent).
Meanwhile, Cain hopes he has done enough to earn an invitation to return after playing this season on a two-way contract.
The 6-7 undrafted forward from Oakland University in Michigan appeared in 18 games for the Heat, averaging 5.4 points while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 35.0 percent (7 for 20) on three-pointers.
With the Heat resting some starters, Cain had 12 points, 7 rebounds, a steal and a block against Washington last Friday, and then had 18 points, five rebounds and two steals in the regular season finale against Orlando.
Cain shot 4 of 4 on threes in that final game, which he found rewarding because improving his distance shooting had been an emphasis this season.
That three-point eruption came a week after his game-winning three-pointer lifted the G-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce into the Western Conference Finals.
In 15 G-League teams this season, Cain averaged 22.1 points and 9.2 rebounds and shot 54.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent on threes.
Cain shot 37.7 percent on threes in four seasons at Marquette but just 29.8 on threes (34 for 114) in his one year at Oakland, his final season of college basketball.
“I didn’t shoot it so well my last year of college,” said Cain, whose two-way contract makes him ineligible for this season’s NBA playoffs. “I’m trying to be a better volume shooter.”
Though Cain is active and long defensively - he averaged 1.3 steals per game in the G-League - and can defended multiple positions, players he guarded this season shot 52.5 percent against him in NBA games (52 for 101); those players shot 45.8 percent overall.
He said he has closely watched Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges. “I’ve been watching him for a while, just taking bits and pieces of his game to add to mine.”
Cain said he played mostly power forward with the Heat’s G-League team this season, but said he “absolutely” can play all five positions.
“Being a Swiss Army knife, you never know where you will be put at,” he said. “I’m trying to make an impact at any position I play. If I’m at five [center], I’m going to use my quickness. If I’m a point guard, I’m going to try to dominate the smaller guards.”
He said he’s most comfortable at either forward spot “but whatever the team needs me to play is where I’ll be the best at.”
The Heat has mechanisms to keep Cain this offseason, either by offering a two-way qualifying offer (which would allow another team to sign him to a standard contract) or by extending a more expensive $1.8 million standard qualifying offer, which would make him a restricted free agent and allow the Heat to match any offer.
The same options also are available for center Orlando Robinson, the Heat’s other player on a two-way contract.
Under terms of the NBA’s new labor agreement, teams can have three players on two-way contracts beginning next season, one more than currently permitted.
