Victor Oladipo

Heat Notes: Oladipo, Butler, Love, Adebayo, Lowry

April 28th, 2023 at 4:48pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard Victor Oladipo underwent successful surgery on Thursday to repair the torn patellar tendon in his left knee, the Heat announced (via Twitter). There’s no recovery timeline yet, per the team.

While that’s the official stance, there’s a “hope and belief” that Oladipo, who turns 31 years old next week, will return to action at some point during the 2023/24 season, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Oladipo holds a $9.45MM player option for next season, and another major knee injury essentially guaranteed that he will exercise it, as he’s highly unlikely to find any offers that lucrative in free agency.

The veteran guard appeared in 42 games (26.3 MPG) for the Heat in ’22/23, his most games played since ’17/18, when he made his first All-Star team. He averaged 10.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.5 APG and 1.4 SPG on .397/.330/.747 shooting this season.

Here’s more on the Heat:

Jimmy Butler won’t wither under the bright lights of the postseason and Madison Square Garden like the Cavaliers did, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, who refers to the Heat star as a “worthy enemy” for the Knicks in their second-round series, which begins Sunday afternoon. “A lot of guys play the game of basketball in this league. He competes to win. That’s a different language,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Butler. “He’s desperate and urgent and maniacal and sometimes psychotic about the will to try to win. He’ll make everybody in the building feel it. And that’s why he is us and we are him. That’s the way we operate as well. The psychotic meets the psychotic. And it gets a little bit whatever.”
The Cavaliers, Kevin Love‘s former team, were eliminated by New York on the same night the Heat defeated the top-seeded Bucks to advance, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Love reached a buyout with the Cavs after his role was reduced, and Cleveland’s bench struggled once again in Game 5 just as Love had his best game of the Bucks series, Jackson adds. Love is understandably focused on his current club. “We’re resilient,” Love said. “We have guys that do a lot of stuff that may or may not show up in the stat sheet but we’re all about winning. We all bring the ego that got us here but for the betterment of the team.”
Bam Adebayo‘s left hamstring strain is improving, Spoelstra told reporters, including Jackson (subscriber link). “He just got done with a workout,” Spoelstra said Friday. “He feels much better.” Adebayo was hampered by the injury throughout the five-game series versus Milwaukee, though he was able to play in every game.
Point guard Kyle Lowry was moved to a reserve role after dealing with a knee injury, and Spoelstra said the Heat decided to stick with Gabe Vincent in the starting lineup for “stability and consistency,” writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He has been great about it,” Spoelstra said of Lowry coming off the bench. “He is all about winning right now. He’s playing a massive role with us right now. But that’s why he is who he is. If you’re all about winning, you’ll sacrifice if you need to, take on a little bit of a different role, if you need to, if it makes sense for winning. You can always look at it like he’s a sixth starter.”

Heat Notes: Butler, Salary Structure, Oladipo, Highsmith

April 25th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler was reluctant to accept the “Playoff Jimmy” moniker, even after one of the most remarkable postseason performances in Heat history, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Butler set a franchise record with 56 points and led an incredible comeback on Monday night to give Miami a 3-1 lead in its series with the top-seeded Bucks.

Butler was 19-of-28 from the field and 15-of-18 from the foul line as he tied Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Charles Barkley for the fourth-highest point total ever recorded in the playoffs. He’s now the leading scorer in this year’s postseason at 36.5 PPG.

“I love the competitive aspect of (the playoffs),” Butler said. “This is where all the best players, they show up and they show out. I’m not saying I’m one of those best players; I just want to be looked at as such. I want to do everything for my team to win, along with everybody on this roster. I think (team president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra) wanted me here for a reason. I feel like this is part of that reason.”

Holding a 12-point lead with 6:08 left to play, Milwaukee was on the verge of evening up the series before Butler took over. He scored or assisted on 22 of the Heat’s final 30 points and personally outscored the Bucks 13-8 over the final five minutes of the game.

Milwaukee used seven different defenders to try to control Butler, Collier adds, but he was able to make 16-of-21 shots that were classified as contested.

“When he gets in that zone, he’s just such a killer,” Kevin Love said. “Lions like to hunt, man. They make their kill, and they keep hunting. That’s what he does. He’s got a huge heart. He wants to see us win. He doesn’t want to make it about him; he just wants to go out there and get the job done.”

There’s more from Miami:

The Heat could use another scorer to help Butler, but their salary structure for next season makes that difficult, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Butler will earn $45.1MM in 2023/24, and the team has close to $90MM committed to Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Unless Miami can unload some of that salary, the need for Butler to carry the offense is unlikely to change.
Victor Oladipo has remained in good spirits despite his latest knee injury, Winderman adds in another Sun Sentinel story. Spoelstra addressed the media Monday for the first time since Oladipo was diagnosed with a torn left patellar tendon that will require surgery. “He said, ‘Don’t shed any tears for me, I’m going to get through all of this,’” Spoelstra said. “That human side, we keep on talking about, when you see how much he’s been able to go through and over time, you just naturally are kind of rooting for him these last three years. But he will. … He has all of convinced he’s going to get through this and he will find a way. He has that kind of a fortitude.”
Oladipo’s injury has resulted in a greater role for Haywood Highsmith, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The third-year small forward was the first player Spoelstra used off the bench Monday night.

Heat Notes: Oladipo, Roster, Highsmith, D. Robinson

April 24th, 2023 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Heat guard Victor Oladipo expects to have surgery later this week on his torn left patellar tendon, sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Although this will be Oladipo’s third major surgical procedure in roughly four years, doctors believe he’ll be able to make a full recovery and he plans to continue his basketball career, Chiang adds.

Oladipo will travel to New York to have the operation performed by Dr. Jonathan Glashow, who handled the second surgery on the quadriceps tendon in Oladipo’s right knee two years ago. Glashow anticipates a six-month recovery process, according to Chiang, although an official timeline won’t be established until the operation is complete. If all goes well with Oladipo’s rehab, he could return to action early in the 2023/24 season.

Chiang notes that Oladipo wasn’t in Miami’s rotation at the end of the season, but coach Erik Spoelstra turned to him after Tyler Herro broke his hand in Game 1 of the playoffs. Oladipo played 26 minutes in Game 2, scoring 15 points, and had eight points in 19 minutes before getting hurt Saturday.

“This year and last year, he worked his way back to be healthy and back in it,” Spoelstra said. “But all those times where he was just rehabbing and not available to play, those can be very frustrating times. But you’d never see that on his face, he was always with a positive attitude and a smile.”

There’s more from Miami:

The injuries to Oladipo and Herro, along with the back spasms that have sidelined Nikola Jovic, leave the Heat with just 12 available players, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. NBA rules prevent teams from adding replacements in the postseason as long as they have at least nine players who are capable of taking the court. “The next guy’s going to have to step up,” said Kyle Lowry, who has been listed as questionable for each game in the series due to an ongoing struggle with knee soreness. “And we understand that we’ll get more minutes from Gabe (Vincent) and more minutes from myself, Caleb (Martin).”
Haywood Highsmith could be part of the rotation if Spoelstra wants to use more than eight players, Winderman notes in a separate piece. With Udonis Haslem not a realistic option, Winderman states that Spoelstra’s only choices are Highsmith, Cody Zeller and Omer Yurtseven.
Duncan Robinson has excelled since Herro’s injury, leading the team with 10 made three-pointers while shooting a sizzling 76.9% from beyond the arc in the first three games of the series, Chiang adds in another Miami Herald story. It’s a gratifying conclusion to a season that saw Robinson move in and out of the rotation and miss 20 games due to finger surgery. “Some ups and downs just personally and as a group, as well,” he said. “And that’s the beautiful thing about this time of the year, you just got to commit everything you can to try to help us win.”

Heat’s Victor Oladipo Tears Patellar Tendon, Out For Season

April 23rd, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat reserve shooting guard Victor Oladipo has torn the patellar tendon in his left knee and is done for the rest of the postseason, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Oladipo suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of Miami’s blowout 121-99 Game 3 win over the East’s top-seeded Bucks yesterday. He collapsed to floor on a drive clutching the knee. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and other personnel helped him walk back to the team locker room.

This marks the second injury to a rotation wing for Miami in its ongoing series against Milwaukee, which the Heat are improbably leading 2-1. In Game 1, starting shooting guard Tyler Herro departed the game with what turned out to be two broken fingers in his right hand. He underwent surgery to repair the damaged digits and will miss at least the next six weeks of action. Oladipo only rejoined the team’s playoff rotation in the first place due to the absence of Herro.

Oladipo inked a two-year, $18.2MM deal with Miami last summer, which includes a $9.45MM player option for 2023/24. As we mentioned last week, picking up that option will limit the Heat’s flexibility this offseason, as it would put the team’s cumulative salaries well north of the luxury tax line. Given the 30-year-old’s lengthy injury history and middling production this year, he seems unlikely to earn anything close to his player option on the open market.

Oladipo ruptured the quadriceps tendon in his right knee during the 2018/19 season while still with the Pacers, then underwent a second operation on the quad late in the 2020/21 season while with the Heat.

Across his 42 healthy games during the 2022/23 regular season, the former two-time All-Star averaged 10.7 PPG on .397/.330/.747 shooting, along with 3.5 APG and 3.0 RPG.

Reserve wing Haywood Highsmith may now be in line for additional minutes, thanks to the extended absences of Herro and now Oladipo.

According to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter), a formal timeline for Oladipo’s recovery has yet to be officially established.

Heat’s Victor Oladipo Leaves Game With Knee Injury

April 22nd, 2023 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The excitement over the Heat‘s blowout of the Bucks in Saturday’s Game 3 was lessened by a knee injury that Victor Oladipo suffered late in the fourth quarter, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

The veteran guard was driving to the basket when he fell to the floor and grabbed his left knee. A stretcher was brought onto the court, but Oladipo opted to walk to the locker room with help from coach Erik Spoelstra and others.

“Vic, we don’t know right now,” Spoelstra said in his postgame press conference. “We’ll have him checked out tomorrow. I feel how everyone feels. Great win, but when you see a player go down like that – particularly a player like Vic, who has gone through so much. I don’t know what it is right now. I feel like throwing up right now, but I don’t know what the prognosis is.”

Oladipo was an All-Star before suffering a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his right knee midway through the 2018/19 season. He had a second operation on the tendon in May of 2021. Oladipo appeared in 42 games this season, which is the most since the original injury, but he hasn’t come close to reaching his former level of production.

As we noted earlier this week, Oladipo’s status could have a major impact on Miami’s financial picture heading into the offseason. He holds a $9.45MM option for next season that he would be certain to pick up if the injury is serious. If that happens, the Heat’s team salary for 2023/24 projects to be well above the luxury tax line.

Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Beal, Avdija, Hornets, Magic

April 19th, 2023 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Former All-Star Victor Oladipo wasn’t a regular part of the Heat‘s rotation down the stretch and was a DNP-CD in the team’s Game 1 win over Milwaukee on Sunday. However, with Tyler Herro unavailable, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald wonders whether the club will turn back to Oladipo.

The Heat’s front office doesn’t tell head coach Erik Spoelstra who or who not to play, but Spoelstra’s rotation decision on Oladipo could have a real impact on the guard’s own player option decision in the offseason, Jackson points out. The 30-year-old holds a $9.45MM option for 2023/24.

If Oladipo exercises his option, the Heat’s team salary projects to be well above the luxury tax line, which may reduce their flexibility due to new CBA rules aimed at teams above one or both tax aprons. If Oladipo opts out, Miami would likely still be a taxpayer, but would be in better position to sneak below those aprons.

Based on his role and production this season, Oladipo seems unlikely to decline his option and hit the open market, but if he’s inserted into the rotation and plays well, perhaps that would change, Jackson writes. Jackson also suggests that remaining on the bench even after Herro’s injury could make Oladipo unhappy enough to opt out in search of a new situation, but that seems unlikely, since it would almost certainly mean taking a pay cut.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

One of the fans involved in a postgame altercation with Bradley Beal in Orlando last month has filed a lawsuit against the Wizards guard, alleging battery and assault and seeking damages exceeding $50,000, reports David Purdum of ESPN.com. We provided more details on that incident in a pair of previous stories.
Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington explores what lies ahead this offseason for Wizards forward Deni Avdija, who will be extension-eligible and who plans to work out with teammate Kristaps Porzingis. “I think it needs to be more consistent,” Avdija said of his priorities going forward. “I showed how I can help the team in a variety of ways, but also on bad nights I need to find a way to get back into the game.”
In a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer, Roderick Boone tackles a number of Hornets-related topics, including Miles Bridges‘ ongoing free agency, LaMelo Ball‘s ankle recovery, and whether or not James Bouknight has a future with the team.
The Magic have hired Arnie Kander as a vice president of player performance and wellness, the team announced in a press release. Kander was with the Pistons from 1992-2015, serving as the franchise’s first strength and conditioning coach. He subsequently spent a season with the Timberwolves as VP of sports performance, then consulted for the Pistons and Cavaliers.

Heat Notes: Herro, D. Robinson, Starting Lineup, Love

April 17th, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat picked up a surprising win in Game 1 at Milwaukee, but they’ll have to figure out a way to finish off the series without Tyler Herro, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro broke two fingers on his shooting hand on Sunday and is projected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.

The injury happened as Herro dove for a loose ball in the closing minutes of the first half, Chiang notes. He stayed on the court until the buzzer sounded, and the team announced at halftime that he wouldn’t return. He’s Miami’s third-leading scorer at 20.1 PPG and one of its best three-point shooters at 37.8%.

“You can’t fully make up what Tyler has been for our team all year long,” Jimmy Butler said. “But guys got to step up, including myself, including Bam (Adebayo) and whoever (coach Erik Spoelstra) calls upon to do an offensive assignment, a defensive assignment, to bring some energy, to dive on the floor, get a loose ball or rebound. It’s like all hands on deck at all times and now more than ever.”

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Duncan Robinson started the second half in place of Herro, but he may not be the best choice for that role going forward, Chiang adds. Max Strus has already taken over a starting job, and Chiang notes that the Heat were outscored by 15.5 points per 100 possessions during the 316 minutes that Robinson and Strus played together during the regular season.
Chiang cites Victor Oladipo, Caleb Martin, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love as other choices to replace Herro in the starting lineup. Oladipo fell out of Miami’s rotation over the last month of the regular season and didn’t play at all Sunday; Martin was replaced in the starting lineup after Love signed with the team in February; and Lowry has been effective off the bench since returning from a knee issue. Love would provide more size in the starting lineup, along with outside shooting to help make up for Herro’s absence.
Love’s transition to Miami hasn’t always been smooth, but he came through in his first playoff game with the team, Chiang states in a separate story. The veteran big man had 18 points off the bench in 23 minutes, hitting 5-of-9 shots from the field and going 4-of-7 from three-point range. “You can just never underestimate the decorated veteran experience of guys that have been proven winners, and that’s what Kevin brought us tonight,” Spoelstra said.

Heat Notes: Strus, Zeller, Oladipo, Postseason, Haslem, More

April 7th, 2023 at 7:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat wing Max Strus has been reinserted into the starting lineup over the past three games as a small-ball power forward, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The impending free agent admits it has been a challenging season.

“It’s been tough,” Strus said of his ever-changing role. “I’ve learned a lot this year on and off the court. It’s been a hell of a year. But I think just being consistent with my mental, everything staying consistent with that has been a huge thing for me. I’ve really grown up and matured a lot throughout this whole season. I think that’s what I’m most proud of and what I’ve learned the most.”

As Chiang notes in another Miami Herald story, Miami’s rotation has been trimmed down to eight players: Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Strus and Bam Adebayo as the starting five, and Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin and Kevin Love off the bench. Love had previously been the starting power forward, but now he’s the primary backup center, with Cody Zeller — the former backup center — being a DNP-CD the past couple games before Friday’s matchup with the Wizards.

However, head coach Erik Spoelstra says that eight-man group isn’t set in stone.

“Right now I do like the fact that we have our depth and we have options, and we plan on utilizing any or all of them based on what we need for that night, that game,” Spoelstra said.

Here’s more on the Heat, who ruled out a handful of players tonight:

Victor Oladipo was noncommittal when asked whether being out of the rotation lately might make him decline his $9.5MM player option for 2023/24, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. However, a scout tells Jackson the 30-year-old would be a poor financial decision not to pick it up. “He would be crazy to opt out,” the scout said. “At best, maybe he would get half a mid-level (exception) on the open market.”
Thursday’s blowout victory over the Sixers guaranteed the Heat will at least be the No. 7 seed in the East (there’s still a slim chance they could get No. 6), which means they’ll be playing a home game in the postseason, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. If they remain at No. 7, the Heat would host the No. 8 seed in the play-in tournament. If the Heat lose that game, they would host the winner of the matchup between the ninth and tenth seeds.
The 2022/23 season is Udonis Haslem‘s 20th and final one with Miami. The longtime veteran and members of the organization recently reflected on his journey, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Jason Quick of The Athletic spoke to several former and current players, as well as former assistants, to get a better idea of Spoelstra’s coaching methods. Outsiders may no longer view the Heat as contenders amid an up-and-down season, but the veteran coach instills confidence in his team. “From the outside looking in, I’m sure it looks like we don’t have anything figured out,” Martin said, per Quick. “But we really, genuinely feel we can still do something great. Everybody says that, but we know, and we feel it. In our minds, we are still working toward a championship.”

Heat Notes: Lowry, Oladipo, Love, Zeller, Haslem

March 24th, 2023 at 7:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra recently raved about Kyle Lowry‘s performance in a new role off the bench after the veteran guard returned from a nagging knee injury that sidelined him for 15 games, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“I think that month of really dedicating himself to getting healthy, getting his leg right, has paid a lot of dividends,” Spoelstra said. “In the minutes that we’re playing him right now, he looks fantastic. And then we’ll just continue to monitor him and we’ll see when we can take the next step.”

As Winderman notes, Lowry has averaged 10.0 points, 4.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds on .586/.579/.833 shooting in five games (24.9 minutes per night) since he returned. The Heat have gone 4-1 in those contests. Lowry is officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s important matchup with Brooklyn, Winderman adds.

Here’s more on the Heat:

Lowry might not be starting, but he has played the entire fourth quarter in each of the past two games, both victories, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscriber link). “Just getting us in sets, slowing us down, getting us to cohesive triggers and he’s being so vocal right now,” Adebayo said of Lowry’s value. “It’s vital for our team. It’s the end of the year. He had some time off, so I feel like he’s really fresh. It’s good to have a fresh Kyle Lowry out there.”
Victor Oladipo has been a healthy scratch in three of the past four games — the one game he played was when Lowry sat out the front end of a back-to-back. He says the role reduction caught him off guard, but he’s trying to stay positive and be ready when called upon, Chiang writes in another story. “I wish I could answer,” Oladipo said of his reduced role. “It’s not something I’m used to. So I’m not really sure how to go about it. Like I said, I’m just focused on improvement and getting better.”
The Heat will only have Non-Bird rights on veteran big men Kevin Love and Cody Zeller, but that might be enough to bring them back without using their taxpayer mid-level exception, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The Heat could offer up to 120% of their current salaries, which would be about $3.7MM for Love and $3.4MM for Zeller, with the veteran’s minimum for both players projected to be worth $3.1MM, Jackson notes. Miami used its biannual exception to sign Love, so it will not be available in 2023/24.
Couper Moorhead of Heat.com takes an in-depth look at the 20-year career of big man Udonis Haslem, sharing stories from teammates, staff members and coaches. The 42-year-old is retiring at the end of the season.

Southeast Notes: Lowry, Robinson, Clifford, Davis

March 18th, 2023 at 10:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat are trying to manage Kyle Lowry‘s knee issues and he’s trying to adjust to a second-unit role. Erik Spoelstra is seeing some benefits from Lowry coming off the bench, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes.

“We’re trying to figure this out, and it’s really more of a health issue than it is a performance issue or even strategy concern,” the Heat coach said. “Want to make sure that he continues to feel good and then we can hopefully scale more minutes. But what we saw the other night was one of those great benefits and luxuries of having a Hall of Fame point guard be able to organize that group.”

Lowry has averaged 19.5 minutes the last two games. The Heat have listed him as questionable for their game against Chicago on Saturday.

We have more Southeast Division tidbits:

Restoring Duncan Robinson to the Heat rotation is unlikely at this point, as Winderman explains in his latest mailbag. Robinson’s best shot at minutes would be to have Kevin Love and Gabe Vincent removed from the rotation, since Max Strus and Victor Oladipo are also fighting for playing time.
The Hornets have won only 22 games and they’re currently on a four-game losing streak, but coach Steve Clifford is still riding his players hard and warning them to not mentally check out the rest of the way, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports. “I want us to try to play to win,” he said. “We’re doing a lot of individual messaging with guys about what they can concentrate on. I don’t want to just play it out. I don’t want to do that. I don’t think that’s smart to do.” Clifford’s status beyond this season is questionable with Michael Jordan looking to sell his stake in the franchise.
Lottery pick Johnny Davis hasn’t impacted the Wizards’ season but he’s received some notable playing time in the last two games. He enjoyed his best game of the season against Detroit with 11 points and five rebounds in a 19-minute stint, Josh Robbins of The Athletic notes. “He’s just kind of found a rhythm on the court, off the court (and with) NBA life,” Corey Kispert said. “It’s all hard to adjust to. He kind of settled into his daily routine. When your headspace is right off the floor, then your game just kind of follows.”

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