Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra came home with some unfortunate news Thursday morning.
His house in Miami-Dade County was set ablaze around 4:36 a.m., before Spoelstra landed back in town after the Heat's loss to the Denver Nuggets. Spoelstra was not in the house when it occurred, and there haven't been any immediate reports of injury. The house is a six-bathroom, five-bedroom property worth $6.6 million upon purchase.
No other properties nearby were affected, but fire officials were fighting the flames on the ground and in the air.
EARLY CANDIDATES FOR MIAMI HEAT'S MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
As the Miami Heat entered its first full season without superstar Jimmy Butler on the roster, it would need to rely on them to carry an extra workload. However, it's only boosted their development, which could lead to Most Improved Player nominations.
Nikola Jovic arguably faced the most pressure heading into the season after signing a four-year, $62.4 million rookie contract extension with the franchise. He's shown flashes of great talent, but injuries have derailed his trajectory on numerous occasions. The Serbian forward has yet to play in at least 50 games in a full season.
However, Jovic is off to a decent start this year. He's averaging 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three-point range thus far. It's still early and Jovic can certainly improve those stats, given talent and opportunities.
Unlike the former first-rounder, Pelle Larsson did not enter the season with much expectation. He spent the summer participating in the Eurobasket tournament for Team Sweden. The 24-year-old averaged 18.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and shot 45.5 percent from the field.
Larsson started in four games for the Heat and reached double figures in scoring in two of them. He recorded a career-high 17 points in both against the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers.
Larsson originally started because Norman Powell was sidelined due to a right groin injury, but remained in the unit in his return against the Clippers on Monday night. He only scored seven points, but five came in the fourth quarter, which provided a massive spark for the Heat.
Finally, the man who’s been seeking, Jaime Jaquez Jr. He went through a rough patch last season, which is best described as a “sophomore slump.” However, this year, the 24-year-old has already taken a great leap.