Vladislav Goldin is going to fit in just fine with the Miami Heat culture.
The Heat rookie center rejected a Lakers layup attempt in Sunday’s Summer League game and did not exactly walk away quietly. Goldin swatted the shot, stared down the shooter, then pointed toward the Lakers bench as he ran back on offense.
The victim was Los Angeles guard Adou Thiero, who tried to score in transition and got sent to the floor by Goldin’s block. The former Michigan Wolverine rose up, met him at the rim, and cleaned the attempt off the glass with force. That was the fun part. The taunt was better.
Miami went nuts on the bench. The clip caught fire on social media within minutes. This is exactly the type of moment Summer League exists for, and it perfectly captures why Heat fans should be intrigued by their new big man.
Goldin is a physical rim protector who plays with an edge. He is 7’1 with real athleticism, and after four seasons at Florida Atlantic and one at Michigan, he is polished enough to contribute right away. Miami loves that kind of prospect. Guys who play hard, defend, and are not afraid to talk trash are the guys who stick around.
His stat line from Sunday tells the fuller story. Goldin finished with just 6 points on 3 of 9 shooting and turned the ball over four times, so this was not a dominant offensive night. But he had four blocks and made his presence felt whenever the Lakers attacked the paint. He also committed nine fouls, which is one shy of the ten foul Summer League cap. There is some work to do on discipline.
The block itself was the highlight of the Miami side. It got the Heat bench up and popped in the arena. Erik Spoelstra will love the tape when he sits down with Goldin later this summer, though he will also have some words about the foul count.
Karma showed up quickly, too. A couple of minutes after the Thiero block, Lakers forward Anton Watson caught Goldin with a poster dunk that got the Los Angeles bench barking. Nobody in Summer League gets to talk trash without getting some back, especially when they are on the wrong end of a highlight reel play.
And in the end, the Lakers actually won the game. Los Angeles came back and took the California Classic contest 93-91 in overtime. The Heat had the highlight, but Los Angeles walked away with the W. That is basketball.
Still, if you are a Heat fan, the takeaway is positive. Goldin is the type of rookie who could carve out a rotation spot faster than his draft profile suggests. Miami is thin at center behind Bam Adebayo, and any player who can defend the rim, rebound, and finish around the basket will get a look.
Add in the swagger and the fact that he already gets what playing for Miami means, and it is easy to see why the Heat fanbase is buzzing about him. The Summer League highlight will not matter come October. The attitude might. Miami has always been a franchise that rewards it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
