East Notes: Heat, Jaime Jaquez, Pacers, Bucks, Malik Beasley

Heat 

Coach Erik Spoelstra said there’s no need to worry about what didn’t happen with the roster this offseason — given the rumors involving Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday. Miami acquired neither.

“I know our group,” Spoelstra said, via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I know the feel of the locker room. I know the feel of this team. And it wasn’t really anything that we really had to address.

“I know there’s a lot of noise out there, and it’s not easy for young players to have their names thrown out there in the media. It’s just happening more and more each year, it seems like. And it’s not exclusive to us. I think it’s just league wide, so you have to learn how to manage all of that.”

• Rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. indicated he believes he can make an immediate impact. “I think I’m ready right now,” he said, via Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I’m very eager to get on the floor. I know it’s going to be a process, trying to learn along the way. But I think I’ve learned a lot and I think I’m in a good position right now.”

Pacers

Coach Rick Carlisle told reporters the Pacers will need to come together defensively once the regular season gets here. It’s been an area of concern in the preseason.

“The thing that’s killing us the most is the fouling,” Carlisle said, via Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We’ve just gotta do a lot better job of that. We’re doing a decent job in some statistical areas, but as long as we keep putting them on the free throw line we’re going to have some big challenges. This is not going to happen overnight defensively. We just gotta stay the course and get better. Keep working on it.”

• Power forward Jalen Smith has been making the most of his preseason minutes, Dopirak wrote. “Jalen Smith is playing like a guy who knows who he is and what his strengths and weaknesses are and how he fits into the system,” Carlisle said. “I was impressed with him.”

Bucks

New Bucks shooting guard Malik Beasley is vying for the starting role next to Lillard in the Bucks’ backcourt.

“There’s definitely a chip on my shoulder,” Beasley said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I was definitely undervalued but not only that, the market was horrible this year. Bruce Brown won a championship this year and he got only $30, or $40 (million) and he deserves a bigger bag than that. Kelly Oubre only signed one-year, average 20 (points) in the East. I mean, the market right now is not that good and I read into all that and I’m betting on myself like I did for my first contract. If things go as planned, and God forbid an injury or anything like that, I’ll just let the work do itself.”

• Coach Adrian Griffin has said the fifth starting spot is wide open, via Owczarski. Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton are penciled in as the other four.