R.J. Hampton is cleared to rejoin the Heat, but will he be able to help?
Miami — It might seem like Erik Spoelstra has tried every possible combination of lineup and rotation as the Miami Heat have gone through almost every possible configuration.
He can now, but not yet.
Guard R.J. Hampton, a former first-round pick whose only activity so far this season has been two minutes and two seconds during a blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 28, was cleared to return on Thursday and is no longer listed on the team’s injury report. Hampton suffered a sprained right knee that has kept him out ever since.
It is unclear where the No. 24 pick in 2020 will fit in, especially given that the 6-foot-4 guard suffered an injury during his first practice with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in South Dakota while on a G League assignment.
The injury occurred prior to Dru Smith’s season-ending ACL tear and Tyler Herro’s right ankle sprain, which has sidelined him for a month. On Hampton’s two-way contract, there may have been available minutes. Instead, he was injured and became a regular on the Heat bench during home games, dressed in street clothes.
Any opportunity now could depend on Herro’s schedule, Haywood Highsmith’s injury schedule, or whether Cole Swider performed well enough during his most recent G League visit to earn Heat minutes.
However, it doesn’t mean the mystery surrounding Hampton, who skipped college and went straight from high school to the NBA in New Zealand, doesn’t still exist. Hampton has previously played for the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Detroit Pistons.
The Heat will focus on Friday night’s game at Kaseya Centre against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Spoelstra stated, “We like about R.J. are his speed, his quickness, his explosiveness, and he’s very hungry to learn and to develop.” Clearly, he was well-regarded when he graduated from high school. While he has experienced some truly amazing moments in the early stages of his career, sometimes the appropriate circumstances—such as the right time, place, and fit—are necessary.
Therefore, we would like to dedicate ourselves to his player development and monitor its progress. However, I truly like his work ethic. It was unfortunate that he was injured because he was beginning to show promise.
With Smith out of commission, the Heat may consider acquiring another point guard. However, placing Hampton in such a box has mainly resulted in his demise in the past.
Hampton will probably decide his Heat future—if not his NBA future—as a combo guard.
Regarding several NBA scouts’ cautions about starting Hampton exclusively at point guard, Spoelstra remarked, “I can’t speak for what necessarily happened in other places.” His talent level, that uncanny speed and quickness, simply intrigues us. And we want to support him in his development and see where it goes from there.
I’m receptive to everything. We can work things out. We’ll be open to any role to make it work if he keeps getting better and seizes opportunities.
The Heat are in a unique position since they only have 14 players on standard contracts, one fewer than the normal cap of 50 NBA regular-season appearances for players on two-way contracts. As a result, the Heat can only have Hampton, Swider, and Jamal Cain play in a total of 90 games on the active roster at this time.
It’s still feasible that Hampton will get back into playing shape with the Skyforce by travelling back to South Dakota, especially if Herro is close to making a comeback.
Regarding such a possible reassignment, Spoelstra stated, “We’ll be open to see what happens.”
