[ESPN] The mystery guest has arrived - Erik Spolestra

professorjay · Jun 1, 2011

A very interesting article on Erik Spolestra's journey to head coach. Worth reading the entire article, but I included the bit that happened to relate to the Rockets.

[ESPN] The mystery guest has arrived - Erik Spolestra

Erik Spoelstra is Kevin Martin.
Well, not really, but Spoelstra's impression of the Houston Rockets shooting guard during Heat shootaround is uncanny -- right down to Martin's funky left-leaning release on his jump shot.

"[Spoelstra] had it down pat," Heat assistant coach David Fizdale says. "You know how [Martin] has that wind-up shot and how he's always shuffling his feet? It was unbelievable. He literally had the whole team on the floor laughing."

Fizdale stresses that Spoelstra isn't trying to ridicule Martin. Like virtually everything else Spoelstra does as Heat coach, it's about preparation -- in this case, for the Heat's upcoming game against Houston. The laughter brings the shootaround to a standstill.

"He knows everything," Wade says. "He knows the player, knows his tendencies. We died laughing. It just shows you how much film he watches and how much he prepares. It was just like [Martin]. But he wasn't laughing. He was serious."

Wade harbors a special appreciation for Spoelstra's mastery for the finer details of Martin's game because, for many years, Wade is Spoelstra's subject, both on film and in the gym.

When Wade comes to the Heat as a rookie in 2003, his jump shot still needs some refinement, and Spoelstra takes on that challenge as a project.

"We worked a lot of hours," Wade says. "You saw that he knew the game of basketball. You knew he was a hard worker. He gave me the confidence to think, 'I can do it.'"

Spoelstra works Wade out incessantly. He wants Wade to establish more balance on his shot and to learn to absorb contact.

"I used to do my 1-2 step-in, wide base and he would literally shove me so I could learn how to shoot with contact," Wade says. "And once I got that done, he made me do it with a shot fake, which is even harder."

Fast forward to a game in November 2004, with the Heat and Jazz tied in overtime. Guarded by Raja Bell on the last possession, the ball goes into Wade.

"It was the exact shot we'd been working on," Wade says. "I hit the game-winner and I remember looking over at him, smiling like, 'This is working.'"
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Sleepy Flloyd · Jun 1, 2011

Good read. I forget sposltra been wit da heat for 15 years and teachin wade since he was drafted in 03'

BleedRocketsRed · Jun 1, 2011

Interesting article. He kind of reminds me as a guard version of CD.

Minus that golfing accident, CD probably could have been a really good coach.

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[ESPN] The mystery guest has arrived - Erik Spolestra

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