FRIDAY, OCT. 2 - You know him as Dorell Wright. But to the Miami Heat, after all that's transpired with him over the past two-plus seasons, he's considered the oldest young dude on the roster.
In a bit of a surprise development, Wright's name repeatedly rolled off coach Erik Spoelstra's tongue after Friday's morning practice session at AmericanAirlines Arena. But it wasn't for anything Wright necessarily did right on the court. As has been the case the past 18 months, Dorell was mentioned in the context of continued concern over the status of his surgically repaired left knee.
Wright was held out of the late stages of Friday's morning session because of continued concern/treatment/precaution with his knee. Wright has done several remarkable things to get himself ready to jump-start his career again. Yes, he was the Heat's first-round draft pick in 2004. But we hardly know him.
His first two seasons were limited by a lack of development after he was drafted directly out of prep school. His next season and a half saw his tremendous athletic potential get undercut by a bout or two of immaturity. And his past season and a half have been plagued by injuries.
Here's all you need to know about Wright. In six seasons, he's played a total of 139 games. In two seasons, Daequan Cook has played 134.
Bad breaks. Missed opportunities. Unfavorable roster circumstances. Injuries. Take your pick. They've all been equal parts responsible for Wright truly being on his last leg with the Heat entering the final year of his contract this season.
And he's not yet even 24 years old. This is why you can't just give up on the kid.
Spoelstra tempered his concern over Wright's knee on Friday, the same knee that limited him to just six games last season. The official word was that his absence from the end of practice was precautionary and designed to place him in better condition to compete in the day's afternoon workout.
But Spoelstra also revealed that there is continued swelling. He also said that Wright has been on the same treatment program Dwyane Wade went through last summer with noted trainer Tim Grover. If Wright can ever get right, it would be a big bonus for the Heat. It's not too late for him to be considered a steal.
But the clock is about to run out of ticks. Still, there is faith.
"Yeah," Spoelstra shot back Friday when asked if Wright can truly get past his predicaments. "Why not? He got hurt. That's what last year was about. He never had enough days where he could string enough (consistently impressive work) together. He put in a lot of work this summer. That's no guarantee. He lost 10 pounds, but kept his strength. He's put himself in position to get through camp."
But then what? Where will Wright go from there if he can get through camp? That's a question the Heat has been waiting for Wright to answer since a GM (Randy Pfund) who is no longer here signed off on picking a player who has yet to really arrive for the Heat.
NEWS OF THE DAY: Spoelstra said he would like to play veterans such as Dwyane Wade, Jermaine O'Neal and Udonis Haslem about 24 minutes in the Heat's initial preseason games, which begin Monday night at Detroit and conclude with a pair of back-to-back sets in advance of the Oct. 28 season opener against New York.
Haslem said NBA players approach the preseason in a different way than NFL veterans, who typically see increased playing time gradually over the first three games before resting for the final exhibition.
"The consistency is different," Haslem said. "NFL guys play one quarter the first game, two the second, and so on. But in basketball, it's hard for guys to pace themselves like that. My mind state is to get myself ready to go as many minutes as I'm given the opportunity. I can't pace myself. I only know one way to play. Preseason basketball is still basketball."
FRIDAY'S SOUNDBITE: Wade, a Chicago-area native, was asked for his reaction to the Windy City suffering a shocking blow Friday, when it was quickly passed over by the IOC for the right to host the 2016 Olympics. That prize went to Rio de Janeiro, which beat out Madrid, Japan and the U.S.
"It's simple. It sucks," Wade said. "We were hopeful we could have gotten the Olympics. To (finish) in the fourth spot is not ideal. So it's unfortunate."
With his international appeal on the rise again after ranking in the top five among NBA players in world-wide jersey sales, Wade was then asked if he wished he could have traveled to Copenhagen, Obama-style, to help his hometown make its pitch. "No," Wade said. "That wasn't going to happen. Not with us being fourth."
(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)
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