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3 Heat Summer League sleepers who could earn minutes this season

By Nicholas Chiarito

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 29: Dru Smith #9 of the Miami Heat warms up before the game before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on October 29, 2022 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 29: Dru Smith #9 of the Miami Heat warms up before the game before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on October 29, 2022 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Jul 2, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (10) dribbles against Miami Heat forward Jamal Cain (54) during the fourth quarter at the California Summer League at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /

3 Heat sleepers who could earn minutes this season: Jamal Cain

Jamal Cain is another player who saw minimal playing time last season for the Heat but is slowly playing a huge role for them in the Summer League. So far Cain is averaging 15 points per game and 5.3 rebounds on 56 percent shooting and 44 percent shooting from behind the arc.

What Cain is doing in the Summer League is the ideal role for him in Miami’s rotation should he receive minutes this season — providing gritty physical defense and giving solid outside shooting.

The Heat lost Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Victor Oladipo, all of which were key players throughout the season. If Miami do end up getting Damian Lillard, they are going to lose a few more solid players, and Cain could easily get minutes for this team.

What Cain has in common with guys like Vincent and Strus is that they’re made from the same mold. All of them were undrafted so they had to fight to survive in this league. Cain is proving his way into that role this season.

At 6-foot-7, Cain is a player who can play three different positions for Miami if need be. He is tall and long enough to play either forward spot, but he’s also fully capable of playing the two-guard and defend the bigger perimeter players out there.

In the Finals, the Heat lacked size against the Nuggets as their starting front court of Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic was simply too big for them. Cain could be the perfect guy in a situation like this. If the Heat need to play big, they can do so.

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