Giannis' Gravity Already Lifting Heat in Preseason Debut

Giannis Antetokounmpo made his Miami Heat preseason debut on Friday night, according to www.slamonline.com, and the box score only tells part of the story.

He finished with nine points, four rebounds, and seven assists in just 14 minutes as the Heat rolled past the Toronto Raptors, 129-105. The numbers don't jump off the page, but his efficiency was perfect: a clean 3-of-3 from the field.

The first glimpse of Antetokounmpo in a Heat jersey showed exactly why Miami traded for him. His fingerprints were all over the game, even in limited run.

No confirmation of any future regular-season lineup or rotation is in the source, but Friday night offered a clear preview of the team's ceiling. The attention Antetokounmpo drew allowed the players around him to be the best versions of themselves — the residual effect of having a superstar on the roster.

That's the gravity Miami will look to unlock all season. Antetokounmpo is already one of the most dominant interior scorers and defenders in the league, but the space he creates can make life significantly easier for everyone else.

NUMBERS AND EFFICIENCY

Antetokounmpo’s final stat line reads: nine points, four rebounds and seven assists in just 14 minutes against Toronto. He shot a perfect 3-of-3 from the field.

Per the source, the numbers didn’t necessarily jump off the page. That’s an understatement for a player who averaged 30.4 points per game last season, but the efficiency tells the real story.

For context, his usual output is far gaudier on a per-minute basis. Seven assists in 14 minutes, though, projects to a rate that would rival his career-best playmaking seasons.