Intensity Reigns

HURLBURT FIELD -- The first sound you heard as the double doors opened on the Miami HEAT’s first official practice was that of LeBron James calling out screens for his teammates.

And his voice carries. Far.

This was not a romanticized start to the team's training camp at Eglin Air Force Base. The squeaking of sneakers was drowned out by James' shouting on defense. There was little fluidity to the offense, as coach Erik Spoelstra didn't install any sets. It was simply the beginning of a season-long process, and with shots not falling as easily as they will in coming weeks, the focus was on energy and stops.

It also might have been the best thing HEAT fans could have asked for. Other than one thunderous breakaway dunk from James – which Dwyane Wade said he did just for the incoming media members – the team wasn’t trying to make things look pretty to further glorify their collection of talent. They were building from the ground up and proving just how serious they were about the less glamorous side of the game.

“We understand the commitment we have to make to the defensive side of the floor,” Spoelstra said. “We can’t just talk about it, you actually have to drill and sweat.”

Spoelstra sure did – sweating while he fielded questions – as did everyone else. The word of the day was intensity, and for good reason. While the defensive rotations in a four-on-four drill were not yet on point, they were furious. Dribbling space on the perimeter was at a premium with guards playing up, and the only way you were dunking was by earning it, such as when James whipped a pass to Joel Anthony by three sliding defenders.

“I like the intensity of the veteran guys,” Spoelstra said. “They can understand the moment. I mentioned this yesterday; you can see guys are very serious about this opportunity and what it’s going to take. We just need to continue to sustain and build those habits.”

Habits that, in a group of individuals, tend to trickle down from the top.

“LeBron’s very intense, on the defensive end especially,” Wade said. “He’s always that way and he’s going to make guys better.”

And that’s really all there was to Day One of HEAT Camp. For a team that was so active during most of the offseason, there are remarkably few storylines outside of the players finally playing against one another in a controlled environment. If it weren’t for the hundred or so media members, they would have looked like any other team getting ready to make a run. Little flash, a lot of substance. And though a couple minutes of the first day on the job hardly tells a tale, you likely couldn’t ask for anything else.