Heat’s Ryan Conwell makes strong preseason case for rotation spot: ‘He’s not playing like a rookie’

Miami Heat admin October 20, 2026 0 Comments

Heat’s Ryan Conwell makes strong preseason case for rotation spot: ‘He’s not playing like a rookie’

There were plenty of encouraging takeaways from the new-look Miami Heat’s preseason. But there was one big revelation.

Rookie guard Ryan Conwell might be ready to be in the Heat’s rotation sooner than some expected.

“He’s really under control,” Heat captain and three-time All-Star center Bam Adebayo said of what stood out from Conwell’s impressive preseason. “He doesn’t get too rattled. And obviously he keeps the same facial expression while he’s out there. So, he’s not playing like a rookie.”

Conwell seemed to get more comfortable as the Heat’s five-game preseason schedule went on, bouncing back from a quiet start to the preseason by averaging 17 points, two rebounds, six assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 48.7% from the field and 38.9% from three-point range across the final three exhibitions. He also totaled 18 assists to just four turnovers during this three-game span to close the preseason.

“The game is slowing down a little bit, being able to process things faster, making better reads, just understanding the game,” Conwell said, with the Heat set to open the regular season Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kaseya Center. “That’s really just the biggest thing, just learning.”

The Heat traded up to acquire Conwell, 22, with the 37th overall selection in the second round of this year’s draft in June.

Conwell has already made a strong impression on his new Heat coaches and teammates with his maturity after his four-year college career.

“He’s playing well,” Heat guard Davion Mitchell said of Conwell. “He’s adapting well. He’s adapting better than I was when I was a rookie. I think that he’s mature, and he’s poised throughout the whole game. Him just shooting the ball, him being confident, him being aggressive, that’s what we need him to do.”

Since training camp opened in late September, Conwell noted the biggest jump he has made is “understanding how the game is played at this level.”

“Just with the reps, I’ve been able to get in practice and just learning from the vets and my coaches, I feel like I’ve just been getting more comfortable,” Conwell said. “So I understand my reads before they happen and different things like that. I’m just still working on it to this day. I’m definitely getting more comfortable each day.”

The Heat projected Conwell (6-foot-2 and 215 pounds) to be a quality outside shooter at the NBA level when it moved up in the draft to get him. He made 38.4% of his 800-plus three-point attempts during his final three years in college, including 41.1% of his 567 catch-and-shoot threes.

But it’s Conwell’s playmaking ability that has been a bit unexpected this preseason, averaging the third-most assists on the team (4.8 per game) and finishing with the team’s third best assist-to-turnover ratio (4.8) across the Heat’s five exhibitions. It’s a skill Conwell won’t use as much during the regular season when the regulars are playing more minutes, but it’s another area of his game that could earn him playing time early in his NBA career.

“He won’t get those kinds of reps when he’s playing with the regulars,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But it’s all part of growing and reading the defense, seeing other things and what’s just right in front of you, and he’s making progress with that.”

Conwell added: “I’m definitely confident, especially with the reps I’ve been getting, being a ball handler. That’s where a lot of my minutes have been. Just depending on if I’m out there with Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or Bam, I’ll be off the ball. So I’m just trying to do what I can.”

Behind the scenes, Conwell has been studying film of different players to incorporate different aspects of their games into his.

“I’ve been watching both offense and defense,” Conwell said. “Gabe Vincent and Andrew Nembhard on defense, different things like that. And then on offense, you can watch a lot of players in the league. I’ve watched a lot of [Jalen] Brunson, Dame Lillard, [Stephen] Curry, different things like that for different pieces of their game. And then just studying my own film, just seeing what I can do better at.”

With guards Pelle Larsson and Tim Hardaway Jr., and center Bobby Portis Jr. locks to be in the Heat’s bench rotation on opening night, Conwell is battling with players such as guard Dru Smith and forwards Simone Fontecchio and Nikola Jovic for playing time off the bench.

“That would be a blessing,” Conwell said of the possibility of being in the Heat’s rotation for the regular-season opener. “I put a lot of work in. I’m confident in my game. I know that if coach puts me out there, I’ll be ready. If not, I’m going to stay ready until my number is called. However it goes, I’m just thankful to be in this position. I just know I’ve got to keep working.”

Through that work, Conwell is trying to prove he deserves an opportunity to play meaningful minutes as a rookie.

“Every rep matters,” he said. “Every preseason game, every practice, I’ve just been trying to make my presence felt. Just gaining not only the trust of the coaches, but my teammates as well that when I’m out there, they can trust me to make the right play and just hold my own on the defensive end.”