Inside The Heat

ESPN Analyst Tim Legler On Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra: "He Doesn't Get Enough Credit"

ESPN's Tim Legler says he's been impressed by Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's adjustments against New York Knicks

Shandel Richardson

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With two championships in five NBA Finals appearances and being named one of the 15 best coaches in league history, it's hard to understand why the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra still is considered underrated. 

ESPN analyst Tim Legler recently drove that point home while discussing Spoelstra's impact this postseason. The Heat, who entered as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, are tied at 1 in their series against the New York Knicks. 

"He never gets enough credit," Legler said on an appearance of ESPN's Get Up. "How many times since Erik Spoelstra been in Miami have we ever said, `Man, they just weren't quite ready to play tonight?' Never. You don't say that about the Heat."' 

Legler pointed out how Spoelstra finds a way to use developmental players like Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Caleb Martin, even in clutch situations. They were the Heat's top three scorers in Tuesday's loss in Game 2. 

"That's a testament to him, recognizing guys' strength and utilizing them for that and realizing it's his job to protect them from their weaknesses," Legler said. "Too many coaches get wrapped up in what guys can't do and they wait for them not do that well and then they take them out of the game and destroy confidence. Erik Spoelstra is the opposite. If this is what you can do well, I'm going to put you on the floor to do that and then I will protect you from what you can't. He's just a phenomenal mind in this game. The Heat are always prepared." 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

TWITTER: @ShandelRich

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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