The Miami Heat did not need long to show what their new-look offense could become. Giannis Antetokounmpo spent only 14 minutes on the floor, yet his passing immediately changed the way Miami attacked. Across the court, Toronto looked far less settled without Kawhi Leonard, and then there was Klay Thompson.
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While one Heat newcomer stole the spotlight with his playmaking, another barely touched the scoreboard. Then Tim Hardaway Jr. and Pelle Larsson also made sure Miami’s depth stayed in the conversation as the Heat raced to a 129-105 preseason win. There was plenty to unpack beyond the final score.
Giannis already has Spoelstra thinking about Magic Johnson
“He makes great plays,” Spoelstra said of Antetokounmpo after the first preseason game. “We knew that about him. We faced him in the playoffs three times. But when you really see it every day in practice this week, you appreciate how brilliant of a playmaker he can be. With the size and the vision and the ability just to put it on the numbers to your shooters is really impressive. Pat [Riley] was at practice all week, and the way he played with the ball in his hands and delivering the ball reminds all of us of a great big point guard that played for Pat back in the 80s.”
A clear reference to Magic Johnson. Giannis was not simply bringing the ball up and attacking the rim. He was forcing Toronto’s defense to collapse, then finding shooters before the defense could recover.
The Greek Freak finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists on 3-for-3 shooting in just 14 minutes. The most telling part was how he created those assists. Giannis did not need to dominate the scoring column to control the offense.
But the bigger experiment goes beyond Giannis. Miami now has Giannis and Bam Adebayo sharing the frontcourt, with both capable of dribbling, passing, and shooting. That gives Spoelstra two bigs who can initiate offense instead of relying on a traditional guard to create every possession. Adebayo believes that combination could catch people off guard.
“You got two frontcourt guys that can dribble, shoot, pass,” Adebayo said. “People are underappreciating it right now because they haven’t seen it.”
Andrew Wiggins offered another glimpse into the problem Giannis creates for defenses. “Giannis, his gravitational pull, it’s crazy,” Wiggins said.
For a preseason opener, Miami could hardly have asked for a louder first impression.
Kawhi Leonard stays out as Raptors refuse to rush him
Kawhi Leonard remained on the sideline as the Raptors opened their preseason schedule. More importantly, coach Darko Rajakovic confirmed Toronto will not rush him back.
Leonard is still working his way into game shape and is dealing with an injury. He is also expected to miss Toronto’s October 10 preseason meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“I mean, we’ve got to have in mind the last time he played live against players was a (play-in tournament) game against Golden State last season,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He didn’t play any live at all this whole summer, and obviously when it was time to ramp up and play, the trade still had not gone through.
“So we’re being super cautious just to build him up the right way. I think the plan is to have him sit out; he’s going to have a whole week working out. Probably he’s not going to play against the Clippers (in Vancouver next Saturday) as well. And hopefully at that point, we’re going to start including him in games after that.”
Toronto opened with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jakob Poeltl, but Miami’s pressure quickly exposed the difference between the two teams. The Raptors fell behind 41-23 after one quarter and entered halftime down 21. Rajakovic did find one positive. His defense forced Miami into 25 turnovers.
“Defensively, we forced the Heat to 25 turnovers, which was a good job by our team,” Rajakovic said.
But Toronto also shot just 29% from three. The head coach also pointed to poor transition defense and defensive rebounding as areas that needed work. Without Kawhi available, the Raptors have time to address those problems.
Klay Thompson’s zero-point debut creates the first question
Klay Thompson’s first game in a Heat uniform was the exact opposite of what Miami expected from its newest shooting specialist. He scored zero points in 13 minutes. The four-time NBA champion only attempted two shots and finished with only two rebounds.
It was an especially unusual stat line considering Miami had surrounded Giannis and Bam Adebayo with shooters specifically to create space. Yet the bigger picture makes the performance easier to dismiss. This was one preseason game, and Thompson played only a brief stint before Miami emptied its bench.
The Heat also scored 76 points in the first half, meaning the offense hardly needed to force Thompson into the action. Still, his quiet debut stood out because another veteran newcomer went in the opposite direction.
Tim Hardaway Jr. could not miss. That contrast will make Thompson’s next preseason appearance worth watching.
Hardaway Jr. and Larsson provided extra comfort
If Thompson’s debut was quiet, Tim Hardaway Jr. made sure Miami’s bench had plenty of noise. The latter scored a team-high 14 points while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. He needed only 11 minutes to make his impact, and Pelle Larsson was just as effective.
The third-year wing finished with 13 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals, giving Miami another energetic option alongside the new stars. Spoelstra has also noticed the chemistry developing between Larsson and Giannis.
“The respect level for how they both compete,” Spoelstra previously said. “He’s a throwback competitor.”
Larsson returned the praise when discussing Giannis’ passing.
“I think you saw today he was making the right play every time — driving, kicking out to wide-, wide-open shooters,” the Swedish star said.
That may be the most encouraging takeaway for Miami. The Heat did not need Giannis to score 30. They simply let his presence create openings, and players such as Hardaway Jr. and Larsson took advantage.
NBA’s new rule got its first victim
Scottie Barnes got an early lesson in how the NBA plans to officiate offensive contact this season. With Klay Thompson guarding him, the Raptors star extended his off-arm to create space. The move drew an immediate whistle. Thompson was credited with drawing the offensive foul. The call carries added weight to this preseason.
The NBA has made offensive push-offs with the off-arm a point of emphasis for 2026-27. Referees are being told to watch more closely for players who extend their free arm to create separation or move defenders out of position. That does not mean every arm contact will be called.
Players can still use their arms to feel a defender and hold their position. The issue comes when the arm is extended with force to gain an advantage. Barnes found himself on the wrong side of that interpretation.
The foul did not change the outcome. Toronto fell behind early and eventually dropped the game 129-105. Still, the sequence was worth watching. Barnes may have been one of the first players to get a taste of the league’s stricter approach. If officials continue to enforce the point of emphasis once the regular season begins, ball-handlers across the NBA may need to adjust quickly.
Spoelstra sees more than a preseason win
The final score was convincing, but Spoelstra was never going to treat a preseason opener like a statement game. His priority was getting his new pieces on the floor together.
“I just wanted to get them out there and get them acclimated and continue what we were doing in training camp,” Spoelstra said after using all 19 available players.
That approach explains the limited minutes for Giannis, Bam, Wiggins, and the other starters. It also gave Miami’s deeper rotation a chance to make an impression.
Hardaway Jr. delivered immediately. Larsson followed. The Heat still had enough firepower to put up 76 points before halftime despite committing 25 turnovers.
For Toronto, the opener exposed several areas that need attention before Kawhi returns. The Raptors struggled from deep, gave up too much in transition and fell behind before they could settle into the game.
Miami, meanwhile, got exactly what preseason is supposed to provide: an early glimpse of how its new pieces might fit. The biggest surprise was not Giannis scoring nine points. It was how much offense he created without needing the ball to end in his hands.