Orlando Robinson dominates and other observations from Heat’s win to open Vegas summer league

Anthony Chiang

July 8, 2023 at 4:50 PM·4 min read

The Miami Heat’s summer league roster includes two first-round picks, and they’re both dealing with injuries.

After injuring his shoulder during Wednesday’s summer league game in Sacramento, forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. was held out of Saturday’s 99-88 win over the Boston Celtics at Cox Pavilion that opened the Heat’s run in Las Vegas Summer League.

The Heat has labeled Jaquez, who was selected with the 18th overall pick in last month’s draft, as day-to-day. His status for the rest of Las Vegas Summer League is in question.

“My goal is I want to play if I can,” Jaquez said following Friday’s summer league practice in Las Vegas. “I want to be out there with the guys and showcase what I can do. But at the same time, understanding that you got to take care of your body, as well. It’s just kind of finding that in between. But day-to-day right now.”

Last year’s first-round pick Nikola Jovic was available for the Heat on Saturday, finishing the win with 14 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 shooting from the foul line, six rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. But he was limited to just two minutes in the fourth quarter because of a sore left foot.

Jovic, 20, believes the injury is minor and he’s hopeful he’ll be able to play in the Heat’s next summer league game.

“I just stepped bad and my foot dropped. I wasn’t sure what it was,” Jovic said. “I think it’s just sore a little bit. That’s it. I think I’ll be back for the next game, let’s hope.”

Jovic, who was drafted by the Heat with the 27th overall pick last year out of Serbia, has been the team’s best player this summer. He entered averaging 21.5 points per game on 13-of-25 (52 percent) shooting from the field and 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) shooting from three-point range in the Heat’s first two summer league games.

But center Orlando Robinson was the Heat’s best player on Saturday. Robinson, who the Heat promoted from a two-way contract to a standard deal last weekend, put together a dominant stat line that included 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting from the field, 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range and 7-of-8 shooting from the foul line, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

Robinson scored 19 points in the first half and 17 points in the second half, showing off his improved three-point stroke. He has shot 5 of 8 from beyond the arc in the Heat’s first three summer league games.

“Every day in the playoffs, when I knew I couldn’t play, I was working that entire time looking forward to this moment and this stage,” Robinson said, referring to the work he put in behind the scenes last season with the Heat as a rookie.

Along with missing Jaquez, the Heat was also without guard Jamaree Bouyea, who sprained his right ankle in Wednesday’s summer league game in Sacramento. Bouyea is one of the two players who the Heat currently has signed to two-way contracts.

The Heat’s second of at least five summer league games in Las Vegas will come Monday against the Phoenix Suns (6:30 p.m., NBA TV).

Here are some other observations from the Heat’s win over the Celtics to begin Las Vegas Summer League:

▪ With Jaquez and Bouyea out, the Heat used a starting lineup of Dru Smith, Drew Peterson, Jamal Cain, Jovic and Robinson on Saturday.

▪ Smith, who is the other player the Heat currently has signed to a two-way contract, contributed 16 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

▪ Peterson, who went undrafted this year out of USC, turned in his best summer league performance with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 shooting on threes.

“I thought he was great,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Caron Butler said of Peterson’s game on Saturday. “Defensively, he was extremely great. He didn’t let offense dictate how he was going to play. He really challenged himself. He said, ‘Coach, I’m going to be better. I’m not going to pass up shots. I’m going to really hone in on my matchups and not give up advantages.’ He did all those things. He checked every box for us today.”

Known for his ability to make threes, Peterson totaled just six points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range in the Heat’s first two summer league games in Sacramento.

▪ Among those in attendance from the Heat coaching staff and front office at Cox Pavilion for Saturday’s game were general manager Andy Elisburg, assistant general manager Adam Simon, head coach Erik Spoelstra and assistant coaches Chris Quinn, Eric Glass and Octavio De La Grana.

Bam Adebayo, Thomas Bryant, Haywood Highsmith and Duncan Robinson were the Heat players in attendance on Saturday. Adebayo watched the game from the Heat’s bench alongside Miami’s summer league coaches.

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