Four Injuries Cloud Miami's Preseason Countdown

By the Heat Nightly Desk · Tuesday, September 29

The Heat still have not played a game this season, but four names are now tagged day-to-day heading into the final week of camp. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Ryan Conwell and Myron Gardner are all working toward an October 1 target, two days ahead of the preseason opener at Toronto.

Heat Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Four Bodies

Giannis Antetokounmpo is day-to-day with a left knee and leg issue. Bam Adebayo is day-to-day with a back and torso issue. Ryan Conwell is day-to-day with a hip and torso issue. Myron Gardner is day-to-day with a left ankle and leg issue. All four carry the same target return date, October 1, two days before Miami's preseason opener.

Preseason Clock

Miami opens the preseason October 3 at Toronto on NBA TV, then hosts New Orleans October 8, Minnesota October 10 and Brooklyn October 14. The regular season begins October 21 against Minnesota on ESPN. That is the window these four have to be full-go.

Fontecchio's Number

Simone Fontecchio shot 70.8 percent true shooting over his final 10 games last season, a sharp jump from his season number. The sample is thin, but it is the kind of efficiency spike Erik Spoelstra will want to see hold up once Fontecchio's role grows.

Rumor Mill

Hoops Rumors, citing Barry Jackson, grouped Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, Spoelstra and Klay Thompson under one Heat Notes headline September 28. A separate Hoops Rumors roster-moves piece the next day looped Miami in with Atlanta, Charlotte and Detroit without any Heat-specific names attached.

Bottom Line

The question now is simple. Do all four day-to-day cases clear before October 3, and does Fontecchio's efficiency spike survive a bigger workload once games count.

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo injured heading into the preseason?

Yes, he is listed day-to-day with a left knee and leg issue and is targeting an October 1 return.

When do the Heat play their first preseason game?

Miami opens the preseason October 3 at Toronto, airing on NBA TV, with the regular season opener set for October 21 against Minnesota on ESPN.