BOCA RATON — Not yet again walking in the wake of a life-threatening offseason infection that led to amputation of part of a foot, Miami Heat general manager Andy Elisburg on Friday categorized his presence at the team’s training camp as a step forward.
“It’s been great being at camp,” said Elisburg, who took in the four days of sessions at Florida Atlantic University in a motorized wheelchair, sitting at a courtside table alongside owner Micky Arison, CEO Nick Arison and executives Pat Riley and Adam Simon, among others.
“I mean it’s been great being back, being with everybody. It’s a sense of normalcy,” he said. “And it was great being at a hotel. But it was also, much like when I went back to the arena (in June), it was an education of suddenly I’m not in a hospital bed. And those are things you take for granted, and you don’t think that’s what it’s like, what it is to sort of get around.”
The rehabilitation process remains ongoing for Elisburg, but so does the business of basketball, including this week’s agreement with fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic on a contract extension.
For now, Elisburg’s new normal has meant a series of adjustments, including when rain began to fall at the team’s Thursday night barbecue.
“All the little things that you used to take for granted you never thought about, now become more apparent,” he said of the scramble at that moment, “But it’s great that I experience ’em, because it gives me things to think about.
“So it’s been a terrific week, everything I would have wanted it to be.”
With the team off to Puerto Rico for a Saturday night exhibition against the Orlando Magic in San Juan, Elisburg said he expects to have his typical presence at Kaseya Center on Monday night, when the Heat play their exhibition home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I will be at the game on Monday,” he said, as he maneuvered out of the FAU gym.
Five down
The Heat traveled to Puerto Rico in the absence of five guards, all of whom are dealing with varying degrees of ailments.
Davion Mitchell was added to that list on Friday, when he sat out the final session of camp due to calf soreness.
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The Heat already had been without Pelle Larsson since the start of camp due to a bruised left quadriceps sustained last month while playing for Sweden at EuroBasket. Then dropping out of the mix during camp were Terry Rozier (hamstring) and Kasparas Jakucionis (wrist).
That is with Tyler Herro recovering from last month’s ankle surgery that is expected to have him out at least the first month of the regular season.
“We’ll just see who’s available and we’ll keep moving forward,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Saturday’s exhibition, as the Heat completed their training camp. “We’ve had a very good week, but it’ll be nice to play a game. I didn’t have any intentions of playing guys huge minutes regardless, so it’ll be a good opportunity for all the guys.”
Gardner shines
Among those who have stood out during training camp has been guard Myron Gardner, who this summer was signed to a two-way contract after previously playing in the Magic’s G League system.
“We really like his personality, his spirit,” Spoelstra said. “He brings a joy every single day. But the way he competes is fierce. And he makes you watch him every time we compete. He had a play today, an effort to a tip-dunk and then a sprint back defensively.
“He makes his presence felt.”
