It is turning into an NBA season of: What if?
For the Miami Heat, it could be turning into a season of: What if the next in the team's lineage of undrafted talent goes unrealized, left without the opportunity to follow in the recent footsteps of Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, Chris Silva, Rodney McGruder, Tyler Johnson, Willie Reed?
For Kyle Alexander and Gabe Vincent, the NBA's new normal could leave each Heat player on a two-way contract as an outsider for the balance of the season, even as management finds their possibilities particularly intriguing.
When it comes to Alexander, the undrafted big man out of Tennessee, it has been a ride that grew complicated even before the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down the NBA since March 11.
He was last, and barely, seen in a Miami Heat uniform during the preseason, when he appeared in two games for just over 13 minutes. He grabbed four rebounds, went scoreless and was shuffled off to the team's G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, in October.
But Pat Riley and the Heat's front office couldn't leave it there, not after an intriguing summer league.
So on Jan. 15, even while dealing with a knee injury, Alexander was converted to a two-way contract, a status he retains at the moment, a status that could leave him outside of the bubble when the NBA resumes in July.
"We like him," Riley told the Sun Sentinel. "We've really liked him, and he has developed. And before he got hurt, we had Chris (Silva) down here and Kyle was doing very well. We feel he has the potential to be a prototype of today's NBA big man. You don't have to be 7-1 or 7-2. If you have one of those guys, then fine. But he's long, he's rangy, he's really developed an upper body.
"The knee injury was a setback for him. But I think in the back of our minds we always wanted to keep him under some type of control, with the two-way deal."
Because of the limited number of personnel the NBA plans to allow in the campus-like setting for the completion of the season, it is possible both Vincent and Alexander become outsiders. The league is said to still be weighing whether two-way players will be allowed to compete in the season's restart.
"I think it's unfortunate for guys like them that they are missing our development process," vice president of basketball operations Adam Simon told the Sun Sentinel. "Duncan and Kendrick, everyone's able to see what they did in (the G League) and their minutes with the Heat and summer league. But what people don't get to see is how much work those guys put in in April and May and June.
"So I think in that regard for Kyle and Gabe, not being able to take advantage of this window is unfortunate."
Among the possibilities for Vincent and Alexander is to remain in South Florida during the NBA resumption, to continue workouts with a member of the Heat staff, perhaps assistant Anthony Carter. Then, if there is a version of summer league in the fall, map out their futures at that stage. Eventually, the Heat will have to decide in October whether to extend either a qualifying offer for next season.
Vincent, a 3-point specialist with the ability to score off the dribble, was added on a two-way contract in January, replacing Daryl Macon with that status. He has appeared in four games for the Heat.
"I think he's shown an ability to have NBA 3-point range," Simon said. "His game is going to go to another level. How it'll translate and how he'll be able to make it on the Heat, that's to be determined. But I think everything that we had hoped for, when we two-wayed him during the season, I think we're very pleased."
Alexander, who now is back to speed in the Heat's voluntary individual workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena, has yet to play for the Heat, after averaging 10.6 points and 9.1 rebounds for the Skyforce.
"Kyle on the other hand," Simon said, "has shown a lot of growth and a lot of development over the first half of the G League season, and then unfortunately he got hurt. So I think there's still more that we want to see from him.
"And I think that's the unfortunate part, is right now, if and when we get going, how much time will those guys be able to get? And then to determine if there'll be summer/fall league, where those guys can play before next season starts. So I think we're really happy with them as prospects, and it's to be determined if they'll be able to make it and become contributors to the Heat."
