Erik Spoelstra Makes His Thoughts Clear About Undrafted Players

The Miami Heat have become experts in finding unknown players where nobody else wants to look, which has become a key factor for their recent success.

The 2022-23 squad is made of several undrafted players and people who weren’t considered that good when they first entered the NBA.

Things have changed for these players, which has also taken the Heat to a different level.

Erik Spoelstra recently talked about the team’s philosophy to sign undrafted players, defending them and making it clear they’re all competitors regardless of their background.

Spo stands up for the "undrafted" guys: "So disrespectful to keep on talking about them that way. Gabe's a veteran. He's a seasoned veteran. … He's been with us since the bubble. That storyline is over. These guys have proven themselves as competitors and winning players."

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) May 20, 2023

Spoelstra is one of the best head coaches in the NBA right now, and the Heat know how to work with him and find the best players for his scheme.

They have found hidden talent that’s ended up helping them a lot.

Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, and Max Strus were all ignored on draft night, but the Heat did recognize their talent.

Their other two stars, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, were 14th and 13th overall picks in their respective drafts.

Caleb Martin undrafted
Max Strus – undrafted
Gabe Vincent – undrafted
Duncan Robinson- undrafted
Bam Adebayo- 14th pick
Tyler Herro- 13th pick

Erik Spoelstra hired from within Miami Heat organization

Being bad in the NBA is a choice … talent is everywhere with the right eye👀 pic.twitter.com/GNKAWTnLT8

— Ben Stinar (@BenStinar) May 12, 2023

This mix of players is now 2-0 against the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, set to sweep them when nobody believed they could even win two games against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.

Miami knows a thing or two about finding new talent, and they’re not scared of betting on somebody they think can fit in their culture.

This team has made a lot of players earn lucrative contracts, and after this magical run, plenty of their players will receive big offers from the team or different franchises around the NBA.