Hawks’ Snyder goes from Spoelstra AAU chaperone to Warmth division rival; Kevin Love sidelined – The Mercury Information

The Miami Warmth’s rivalry with the Hawks added a twist with final week’s hiring of Quin Snyder as Atlanta coach.

Now a former Erik Spoelstra mentor is mentoring the Hawks.

Amid the Warmth’s two-game collection towards the Hawks at Miami-Dade Enviornment, Spoelstra famous the connection between the previous prep prodigies from the Pacific Northwest, Spoelstra from the Portland area, Snyder from the Seattle space.

“He’s a terrific basketball coach and a very good man,” Spoelstra, 52, stated. “I’ve really recognized Quin since I used to be 14.

“We performed on the identical touring AAU crew. He was on the senior crew, I used to be on the junior crew. So he was really like our chaperone at one in every of these tournaments. However I’ve been a giant fan of his for a very long time, and it’s a terrific match for him.”

Snyder, 56, picked up on the connection from there.

“It dates again to I believe Oregon prep camp, when our highschool crew went down there, and the truth that I can’t keep in mind a number of the particulars means that I didn’t play very effectively,” Snyder stated with fun. “We weren’t hanging out daily. However I do, and I believe he does, as effectively, recall a connection by means of that.

“And it’s one thing that I’ve loved watching him over time, and clearly have great respect for him and his path and definitely being an elite coach on this league. And that’s deserved, 12 months after 12 months, what he’s been capable of do is de facto, actually spectacular. I don’t know that both of us might inform that we’d be teaching within the NBA.”

No Love

Beginning energy ahead Kevin Love was dominated out at noon from Monday night time’s sport towards the Hawks attributable to a bruised proper rib. The crew stated X-rays have been detrimental.

It’s the first sport Love has missed since becoming a member of the Warmth on Feb. 20 throughout the All-Star break after leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers in a buyout,

Love’s absence comes forward of the Warmth’s two-game house set towards the Cavaliers on Wednesday and Friday nights, the Warmth’s solely remaining video games towards Cleveland this season.

Cleveland agreed to the buyout with Love after the 34-year-old former All-Star had misplaced his spot within the Cavaliers’ rotation, held out for his last 12 video games with the crew earlier than being waived.

Love instantly moved into the Warmth beginning lineup, averaging 7.5 factors and seven.3 rebounds in these six appearances.

“Happily with this, this received’t be a long-term factor,” Spoelstra stated. “However we don’t have a ton of video games, so I do know he actually needed to attempt to play tonight, however he’ll have one other couple of days and we’ll reevaluate him.”

Love’s absence comes with heart Omer Yurtseven and ahead Jamal Cain coming back from assignments with the Warmth’s G League affiliate.

Remaining sidelined for the Warmth are level guard Kyle Lowry, with the knee soreness that has had him out since Feb. 2, and rookie massive man Nikola Jovic, who has been out attributable to a lower-back stress response since Dec. 28.

Jovic, nonetheless, has been despatched to Sioux Falls to start his rehabilitation task.

“That was an necessary step,” Spoelstra stated of Jovic heading to Sioux Falls. “He’s been doing so much behind the scenes for the final three weeks, month. So I do know he needed to test this field. We needed to test the field.”

Yurtseven displays

Yurtseven stated his two-game stint with the Sioux Falls Skyforce over the weekend took his restoration from November ankle surgical procedure to the subsequent stage.

In his two video games in South Dakota, Yurtseven averaged 27.5 factors on .489 taking pictures, and 13.5 rebounds. It was his second G League stint, having performed 14 video games within the G League in 2021 with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder affiliate.

“It feels superb, taking part in these two video games again to again,” Yurtseven stated after Monday morning’s shootaround at Miami-Dade Enviornment.

Yurtseven stated he felt at house with the Skyforce.

“I believe the tradition is there, too,” he stated, “the best way that they and we preach. And it was superb to have that house tradition setting there, and to have the ability to play with the fellows there to get again into 100% form.”

Spoelstra stated the time within the G League was effectively spent.

“That was an necessary step,” he stated. “He’s been doing so much behind the scenes for the final three weeks, month. So I do know he needed to test this field. We needed to test the field.”

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