Big finish by Butler-less Miami Heat leads to win; 3 takeaways

3. The rookies light it up

It’s one thing to have a player on debut impress in a decisive win. However, it’s another matter altogether to have a trio of debutantes excel in their first game on an NBA floor.

Continuing from his 40-point explosion in the final game of preseason, Kendrick Nunn again excelled, posting 24 points in just 27 minutes.

Scoring in a variety of ways as evidenced by recording 15 drives for the game, Nunn hit an electric 8-of-9 attempts from within five feet of the rim. Furthermore, Nunn was a game-high plus-27 while on the floor, thus indicating the immense impact he had on the game.

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Next up was Tyler Herro, the more heralded of the rookie backcourt duo. Also starting alongside Nunn, Herro recorded 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and four deflections, with his size put to good use both on the glass and in the passing lanes at the defensive end of the floor.

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Then there was Chris Silva, the recently signed two-way player who came up huge in the final term. Registering eight points, six boards and three big blocks all in the fourth quarter, Silva’s all-out hustle at both ends was a standout, as the Miami Heat rapidly turned a one-point deficit at the end of three into a 19-point blowout win.

So while it’s just the opening game of a long season, all signs are promising thus far for this intriguing rookie trio.