Heat Notes: Defense, Starting Lineup, Powell, Ware, Draft Pick
After watching the Heat surrender 149 points in Friday’s loss at Cleveland, coach Erik Spoelstra is having doubts about his defense as the postseason draws near, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes in a subscriber-only piece. Two nights after posting a 17-point win in the same arena, Miami was helpless to slow down a Cavaliers team that shot 53.6% from the field and 46.3% from beyond the arc.
“What we needed to have was a great disposition to start the game versus a team that was very motivated and on top of their game,” Spoelstra said. “So maybe they get off to a good start, but your defense can weather the storm and it ends up being a six to eight-point lead instead of a 20-plus point lead.”
The exact opposite happened as Cleveland registered 40 points in the first quarter and 41 in the second, building a 35-point lead by halftime. Chiang notes that the Heat had one of the league’s elite defenses for most of the season, but have collapsed recently, ranking among the bottom four during their 1-6 stretch.
“It’s extremely disappointing,” Spoelstra added. “We’ve put in the time. The guys have put in blood, sweat and tears to develop a top-four defense two weeks ago. And when we need it the most is when we’ve let it disappear.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Spoelstra used his preferred starting five of Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo for the second straight game, but the unit didn’t function nearly as well as it did on Wednesday, Chiang adds in the same story. They trailed 21-10 when Spoelstra made his first substitution and were outscored by six points in their 14 minutes together. “We need to just keep figuring it out,” Adebayo said. “Everybody keep buying in and we’ll see where it gets us.”
- Powell is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Indiana due to back spasms, Chiang tweets.
- The Heat are virtually certain to pursue a significant move this summer, Chiang states in a mailbag column. Giannis Antetokounmpo looms as an obvious target after Miami tried to land him at the trade deadline, and Chiang notes that the team needs its potential trade chips to finish the season strong to preserve their value. He points to backup center Kel’el Ware, who is viewed as the team’s top asset but has been inconsistent during his second NBA season with Spoelstra repeatedly singling him out in public comments.
- The decision to grant the Heat a 2026 second-round pick from Charlotte as compensation in the Terry Rozier dispute no longer seems as equitable in light of the NBA’s new anti-tanking proposals, contends Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel (subscription required). Winderman points out that the 2027 or 2028 first-rounder that was sent to the Hornets in exchange for Rozier has a chance to become much more valuable if the new rules are adopted.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Larsson, Knueppel, White, Vukcevic
Mired in a five-game losing streak, the Heat made a starting lineup change on Wednesday in Cleveland, bringing forward Pelle Larsson off the bench for the first time since January 13. The early returns on the adjustment were positive, as Miami snapped its losing streak with a 120-103 road victory over the Cavaliers.
As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays, head coach Erik Spoelstra suggested the new starting five – Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo – is his preferred group when everyone’s healthy, which often hasn’t been the case this season.
“There really wasn’t a lot of thought to it. It’s just now we have finally everybody available,” Spoelstra said. “So we’re able to get to the normal plan. Sometimes you can’t necessarily get to what you want to do based on injuries.”
Although Larsson was moved to the second unit, he still played just over 34 minutes in Wednesday’s win, which was easily his highest mark in a reserve role this season. After the game, Spoelstra praised Larsson for the energy he brought off the bench and made it clear the second-year forward will continue to be featured prominently even if he’s not starting.
“Pelle is undeniable, you can’t take him off the floor,” Spoelstra said. “So I didn’t think anything of (the role change), he didn’t think anything of it that we made the change. Because I know, and I know that he knows that I know that he’s going to play. He led us in minutes tonight. … I just love the way he competes, how he impacts the game, and his teammates really appreciate him as well.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets wing Kon Knueppel is battling through some back soreness, but he nearly had the first triple-double of his NBA career in a win over New York on Thursday. Knueppel had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, and became the youngest player in league history to make at least 250 three-pointers in a single season, notes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I think sometimes he gets labeled as just a shooter, but we feel his impact in so many different ways,” head coach Charles Lee said of the rookie standout.
- Speaking to Boone for a separate Charlotte Observer story, new Hornets guard Coby White suggests the three weeks he spent recovering from a calf strain following his trade from Chicago to Charlotte last month allowed him to adjust to his new NBA home without getting thrown into the deep end right away. “I think what helped me was just – when I was out – picking up a lot of stuff, learning stuff, and then so I didn’t really have to learn it on the fly,” White said. “So it’s been good for me, just breaking down the film when I was out. It’s going to take time, but I feel like I’m getting accustomed to it for sure.” White has averaged 16.0 points in just 20.0 minutes per game in his first 13 outings for the Hornets.
- When he was promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster last month, Wizards center Tristan Vukcevic signed a three-year, $8.86MM contract that is fully guaranteed through the 2026/27 season. The next step for the young big man will be proving he deserves a place in Washington’s long-term plans, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “I’m obviously happy for my deal, but it doesn’t stop here,” Vukcevic said. “I’m still (only 23), I have a whole career in front of me. I think the contract is more motivation for me to work harder this summer and just get better. I don’t think I’m perfect. Everybody says I’m a shooter, but I have a lot of work there. This year, I haven’t shot the ball the way I’m supposed to.”
Heat Notes: Powell, Herro, Bam, Mitchell, Jovic, Schedule
After missing the Heat‘s last seven games due to a right groin strain, All-Star wing Norman Powell suited up on Saturday’s four-point loss to Orlando, finishing with 21 points (on 7-of-15 shooting) and three assists in 31 minutes.
Powell’s return came with a twist, however, as he came off the bench for the first time in nearly two years, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat won all seven of the games Powell missed and coaches told him they didn’t want to “mess the flow up.”
Tyler Herro, who had played well in place of Powell for the first five games of that winning streak, also returned to action on Saturday after missing two games with left quad soreness. He started at shooting guard alongside Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware.
“Look, these are not easy decisions right now,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of moving Powell to the bench. “He’s going to play a lot of minutes. Tyler is going to play a lot of minutes. Right now, we just need to focus on winning games and pouring into the team right now. We want to be healthy. We want our guys out there. We want our firepower. We want our options. With that comes some way of sacrifice.”
Backup guard Dru Smith received his fourth DNP-CD of the season with Powell and Herro active, Chiang notes.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Star big man Adebayo was not happy with the officiating crew following Saturday’s game, Chiang adds in the same story. With Miami down four and 36.6 seconds remaining, Larsson was called for five-second inbounding violation, which the team disagreed with. Then with 18.5 seconds left and Miami trailing by two, the Heat felt Orlando should have been called for the same violation, but the referees granted the Magic a timeout. “That altered the game,” Adebayo said of the five-second violation called on Larsson. “When you alter the game, you should have to, like, stand on that. Because when we mess up, when we make mistakes, when we miss stuff, all hell breaks loose on us. We got people blaming us for everything. And then on the other side, I felt like they had a five-second call that wasn’t called. That altered the game. So you see what I’m getting at? They affect the game in a way where sometimes it does have an effect, and they get to go home and sleep peacefully. And we’re up here talking about a call that you feel like should have been called or not called.” For what it’s worth, the last two minute report said both calls were correct.
- Mitchell’s place in the starting lineup seems secure based on Spoelstra’s recent comments, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The longtime coach referred to the 27-year-old point guard as “one of our most important guys” and an “elite on-ball defender.” He also complimented Mitchell’s offensive contributions, Winderman writes. “He’s, in many ways, the engine of when we run and we’re at our best and our pace,” Spoelstra said. “Oftentimes, it’s him that’s igniting it and pitching the ball ahead.”
- Fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic, who has been sidelined for 11 consecutive games due to a lower back injury, has been upgraded to probable ahead of Tuesday’s matchup at Charlotte, per Chiang (Twitter link). Andrew Wiggins, who is dealing with sesamoiditis in his left big toe, will miss his sixth straight contest.
- Miami’s recent upswing will be put to the test with a difficult schedule over the next six games, Chiang writes for The Herald. The Heat play at Charlotte, vs. the Lakers, at Houston, vs. San Antonio, and have a pair of road games in Cleveland during that stretch. “Everybody knows what time it is right now. You have to make moves,” Spoelstra said of the race to avoid the play-in tournament. “You have to do something. And we knew that coming out of All-Star break.”
Heat Notes: Adebayo, Herro, Guard Depth, Johnson
Bam Adebayo‘s elite-level impact on the Heat has become undeniable, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Winderman makes a stat-based argument for Adebayo’s stardom, noting that he’s second in the league in on/off differential behind only Nikola Jokic (among players who have logged at least 1500 minutes) and that the Heat have a 99.7 defensive rating with him on the court since the start of February.
Winderman notes that with the Heat surging, award consideration could soon follow for Adebayo. Head coach Erik Spoelstra agrees, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, who says (via Twitter) Spoelstra believes that if the Heat continue to win, the Defensive Player of the Year award will be a two-man race between Adebayo and Victor Wembanyama.
While there’s still plenty of work to do to secure a playoff spot, the Heat are playing with a real joy and belief in themselves, Winderman writes.
“You can sense that our locker room is trying to seize the moment right now,” Spoelstra said. “We’re having a lot of fun competing with each other and playing to a consistent identity on both ends.”
We have more from the Heat:
- One reason for Miami’s improved play of late is Tyler Herro, who has been rounding into his customary form after an injury-riddled start to the season, Chiang writes. Herro was recently named Eastern Conference Player of the Week and is relishing being back on the court with his teammates. “I’m appreciating just, again, being out there,” he said. “I was without the game for a while, and to be out there means a lot. Now to be winning out there with these guys, it feels amazing.” Chiang notes that Herro is the only player averaging more than 20 points with at least .500/.450/.900 shooting splits since the All-Star break.
- The point guard position has been something of a question mark outside of Davion Mitchell this season, but Spoelstra says he’s very happy with how the depth chart has shaped up, according to Chiang. “We have three really good point guards,” Spoelstra said, referring to Mitchell, rookie Kasparas Jakucionis, and Dru Smith. “… We feel very fortunate. We haven’t had this kind of point guard play and that depth at that position — I can’t remember. It’s been a while.” Spoelstra added that each guard brings a different skill set to the table, so when one doesn’t play, it’s not an indictment on that player, but more related to what the team needs in that moment.
- Keshad Johnson is ready to defend his dunk contest crown next season, writes Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype. “I’ll for sure be down to do it again next year,” he said. “Make a bigger name for myself. I do believe bigger names are gonna start getting involved with All-Star Weekend, based on how the politics are playing out and how the fans are being very vocal about wanting to see big names go out there and do stuff during All-Star Weekend.” In the interview, Johnson said that he believes in himself and his work, and is embracing what the Heat have asked of him. “It’s all about being a winner, whatever it takes to win,” he said. “That’s what the Heat values, that’s what I’m trying to show I can do. So whether that’s guarding the best player, rebounding, or hitting shots, that’s what I’m trying to work on.”
Victor Wembanyama, Tyler Herro Named Players Of Week
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Heat guard Tyler Herro have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links). The weekly award covers games played from March 2-8.
Wembanyama averaged 26.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 blocks per game as San Antonio went 4-0 last week. It’s the second weekly award this season for the former No. 1 overall pick and the third of his career.
The Player of the Week honor continues an impressive run of award recognition for Wembanyama, who last week was named the Western Conference’s Player of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month for February.
Herro averaged 26.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.7 percent from three-point range as Miami also went 4-0 last week. This marks Herro’s second career Player of the Week award and his first of the season. He has been limited to just 20 appearances so far due to injuries but has been highly productive when available, averaging 22.1 PPG on .500/.402/.917 shooting.
Devin Booker (Suns), Luka Dončić (Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other nominees from the Western Conference. Bam Adebayo (Heat), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were also nominated in the East.
Heat Notes: Ware, Herro, Wiggins, Powell, Fontecchio
Kel’el Ware was thrust into a significant role on Thursday with Bam Adebayo in foul trouble, and the second-year Heat center delivered in impressive fashion, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Ware, who had 11 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high five steals in 29 minutes during Tuesday’s blowout win over Brooklyn, one-upped that performance in Thursday’s victory over the Nets, compiling 16 points, 11 rebounds, a career-high seven blocks, and a career-high-tying five steals in 32 minutes.
According to Winderman, Ware became the first player in Heat history to record a 10-10-5-5 stat line and the first player in NBA history to do it off the bench. The 21-year-old big man is the first player in franchise history to have seven blocks and five steals in a game — the last NBA player to register those numbers was Josh Smith in 2007.
“It shows that I’m impacting the game,” Ware said. “And I’m going out there and I’m affecting it — being able to help my team, prove that I can play and be a plus.”
Head coach Erik Spoelstra likes what he’s seen recently of Ware, who had 10 points, four rebounds, four blocks and a steal in Friday’s win over the red-hot Hornets.
“I think his teammates are encouraging him to be more aggressive, guard the basket,” Spoelstra said. “He’s getting more alert on situations. I’m encouraged by his last handful of games. He’s doing a lot of things that are impacting the game.”
We have more from Miami:
- The Heat picked up their fourth straight victory on Friday in Charlotte and snapped the Hornet’s six-game winning streak in the process, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Tyler Herro had his best game of the season, finishing with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists (against zero turnovers). The 26-year-old shooting guard was plus-18 in 37 minutes during the eight-point victory. “He was sensational tonight,” Spoelstra said. “Tyler, you can see he’s gaining more rhythm each game. Tonight, the three ball started to go for him. It opens up so much for his game. He can put the ball on the floor. The nine rebounds were needed because they’re a handful on the glass.”
- Starting forward Andrew Wiggins was sidelined on Friday due to bilateral patellar tendinitis, the team announced (via Twitter). “He’s dealt with it for the last handful of days, and it didn’t loosen up enough today to be available,” Spoelstra said before the game, per Jackson. “But hopefully we can treat him and hopefully make sure it’s a short-term thing.”
- Norman Powell (right groin strain) missed his fourth straight game on Friday, while Simone Fontecchio (left groin strained) missed his second consecutive contest, according to Winderman. “We have some competitive, tough-minded guys in the locker room,” Spoelstra said of his players attempting to shorten timelines for absences. “We do want to be responsible. That was the case with Norm and Timo (Fontecchio). Hopefully, if you get to things early and you really attack it with the rehab, it can be shorter term.”
Southeast Notes: McCollum, Herro, Carter, Penda
CJ McCollum replaced Zaccharie Risacher in the Hawks‘ starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Nets, a move that shifts the former No. 1 overall pick to the bench for the first time since the second game of his NBA career. Previously, Risacher had started in 117 of his first 119 games.
This decision to promote McCollum to the starting five reflects Quin Snyder‘s trust in the veteran guard. Recently, the Hawks’ head coach discussed closing games with McCollum over Risacher.
“That is, by far, our best lineup from a plus-minus standpoint,” Snyder said of the group that features McCollum alongside Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). “You could make an argument that we should start that lineup … How can we best use CJ?”
According to Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (via Twitter), people around the league believe Risacher puts a lot of pressure on himself and that this move could help relieve some of that pressure.
The Hawks fell behind against the Nets but completed a fourth-quarter comeback, winning 115-104. McCollum had 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Risacher scored seven points off the bench.
We have more from around the Southeast:
- After missing over a month with a rib injury, Tyler Herro has come off the bench for the Heat‘s last two games, both of which were wins. It’s a role the former Sixth Man of the Year is very familiar with, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “It doesn’t really feel like I’m out of place, because we got guys that can start and I’m comfortable in my role and in myself,” Herro said. “So I’m happy where I’m at.” Herro scored 24 points in 23 minutes as a reserve in his return to action against the Hawks, and 14 points on 15 shots against the Grizzlies. His role and minutes will likely be determined by how his body reacts to returning to play. “We are going to manage the minutes. I’m not overthinking it. I’m not putting anything in cement. I don’t have a timeline for anything,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re how many ever games into the season right now and we finally have our full roster. We’re just going to try to maximize these next 25 games as much as possible and we just want everybody just to pour into the team, pour into the role, don’t overthink things at this point.”
- In his third game with his new team, Jevon Carter hit a massive three-pointer in double overtime for the Magic before a Jalen Green shot won it for the Suns. After the game, Paolo Banchero spoke about Carter’s impact. “Just coming in here and taking advantage of his opportunity, just fitting in, playing both sides of the ball,” Banchero said, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). “He hit a big shot, I wish we could have pulled the win out for him, because that was a huge shot.” While Carter’s late-game shot was his biggest moment of the game, it’s his defense that has most impressed coach Jamahl Mosely, Beede writes. “As soon as he stepped on the court, it was pick-up full-court, talking in the huddles, getting guys in the right spots, stepping in with confidence to his shot,” Mosley said. “He’s about all the right things. He’s about winning. He’s about toughness. He fits exactly what we do here with the Magic, just being able to (play) hard-nose defense, creating your offense on the other end.”
- When the Magic drafted Noah Penda 32nd overall last June, they likely didn’t expect him to become a crucial piece in year one, but amidst an injury-plagued season, he has become an important factor in keeping the team afloat, Spencer Davies writes for RG. Davies adds that Penda has maintained the same mindset and effectiveness whether coming in for a four-minute run off the bench or closing games as a starter. Penda’s rebounding has been a crucial part of his impact — when the rookie goes to the bench, the team’s offensive rebounding rate drops by nine percent, Davies notes. The rookie forward says the entire team has helped him learn the ropes in his first NBA season, but cites Tyus Jones, who was traded at the deadline, as a veteran who really took Penda under his wing when he wasn’t playing and helped him focus on what he needed to do to be ready when his number was called.
Heat Notes: Herro, Larsson, Mitchell, Jovic, Smith, Jakucionis
Heat guard Tyler Herro made a triumphant return in Friday’s victory at Atlanta, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The 2025 All-Star scored a game-high 24 points (on 9-of-14 shooting) in 23 minutes off the bench. He also contributed four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra indicated that Herro’s reserve role isn’t necessarily permanent, though he was noncommittal about when the 26-year-old might return to the starting lineup.
“Right now we’re just trying to get him out there,” Spoelstra said. “We are going to manage the minutes. I’m not overthinking it, I’m not putting anything in cement, I don’t have a timeline for anything. We’re how many ever games into the season right now and we finally have our full roster. We’re just going to try to maximize these next 25 games as much as possible and we just want everybody just to pour into the team, pour into the role, don’t overthink things at this point.”
Herro had missed Miami’s last 15 games due after fracturing three ribs last month. He wore a flak jacket on Friday and said he’s focused on finishing out the year strong after making just 12 appearances thus far in 2025/26, Chiang writes.
“I just want to get out here and play with the whole team, get comfortable, and just stack some healthy games together,” said Herro, who will be extension-eligible this offseason. “Just try to play a stretch of games where I’m healthy. That’s all that’s on my mind.”
Here’s more from Miami:
- Pelle Larsson has been starting in place of Herro and the second-year Heat wing continued to play well on Friday, Chiang writes in another story. Over his last 14 appearances (28.4 MPG), all starts, Larsson has averaged 12.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.5 APG and 0.9 SPG on .567/.300/.791 shooting. “He’s the glue that really can help maximize lineups,” Spoelstra said of Larsson. “Whenever he’s been with that starting unit, it’s been incredibly dynamic. He does all the little things that aren’t seen or not really noticed on the outside, but we notice it. The cuts, the movement, taking charges, running the floor, just moving the basketball, being a ball mover, allowing the scorers to just focus on their strengths.”
- Starting point guard Davion Mitchell is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game vs. Memphis due to an illness, according to Chiang (Twitter link). Forward Nikola Jovic (low back tightness) and reserve guard Dru Smith (left calf soreness) are questionable to suit up. Mitchell played 27 minutes last night, but Jovic and Smith were out of the rotation, only receiving three garbage-time minutes apiece. Herro (ribs) and Norman Powell (illness) are probable to play on the second of a back-to-back.
- In a Q&A with Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype, first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis discusses adjusting to the NBA, finding his rhythm in the G League at the beginning of the season, learning from veterans like Mitchell, and more. “Yeah, it’s amazing,” the rookie guard said of the team’s culture. “It’s very similar to how I think things should be in basketball or in life: working hard and trying to win every time. Being together, being hungry every time you step on the court, diving for loose balls, and paying attention to little details. I think that’s what makes the difference.”
Heat Notes: Herro, Jovic, Gardner, Keels
After taking part in practice on Thursday, Heat guard Tyler Herro spoke to the media for the first time in several weeks and confirmed a report that he fractured three ribs last month, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.
“There’s not too much discomfort anymore compared to where I was three or four weeks ago,” Herro said. “I couldn’t even get out of bed. It was crazy. There was nothing I could magically do to fix my ribs. I had three fractured ribs. My ribs were in a lot of pain. Doing normal lifestyle things, I couldn’t do. There was no way I could play basketball. I can fully move how I’m supposed to now. Just focused on staying healthy the rest of the season.”
After missing Miami’s past 15 games, Herro will make his return on Friday in Atlanta, having been upgraded to available for the divisional matchup with the Hawks. In fact, the Heat’s roster will be as healthy as it’s been all season, with only Terry Rozier and a pair of two-way players listed as out on the injury report because they’re not with their team.
Of course, describing Herro as fully “healthy” might be a stretch. Although he’s ready to play, he’ll be wearing an NFL-style flak jacket under his jersey in his first game back to protect his ribs, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required).
“They had like a sewing person come in and sew a whole new pad in for me,” Herro said. “So I got quite the flak jacket. I look like a football player almost out there. So I’m going to see how it goes, try to feel it out a little bit. Ultimately, just want to feel safe. Hopefully I just don’t get hit there and we’ll be good. But yeah, I’ll be protected.”
Here’s more on the Heat as they prepare to embark on their post-All-Star schedule:
- While Miami will be focused on securing a top-six postseason seed in the Eastern Conference over the season’s final two months, there will be plenty of other Heat-related stories to watch in the coming weeks, Jackson writes for The Miami Herald. Those subplots include Herro and Norman Powell making their case for offseason extensions and the Heat evaluating whether Nikola Jovic, whose four-year, $62MM rookie scale extension goes into effect in July, can be relied on as a rotation player heading into next season.
- Rookie wing Myron Gardner, who signed a new three-year contract with the Heat this week after spending most of the season on a two-way deal, referred to the promotion as a “dream come true.” Head coach Erik Spoelstra says he’s earned it, per Adam Lichtenstein of The Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “He had to do it the hard way,” Spoelstra said. “We wanted to take a look at him this summer. And then in the summer there were some intriguing things, and preseason was a little bit up and down. And then he just continued to work, and every opportunity he had, either in practice and then eventually in the games, he just made us watch him. And you couldn’t not notice his energy. I mean, it’s relentless, whether he’s just crashing the glass or crashing into people. And it just intrigued us to be able to say, all right, can we develop the fundamentals and the details to be able to harness some of that energy and direct it in a positive way? And he’s been able to do that.”
- With Gardner promoted to the 15-man roster, the Heat’s next developmental project is Trevor Keels, who was signed to a two-way contract to take Gardner’s old spot. Spoelstra raved about the guard’s offensive ability, referring to him as a “sniper,” and suggested he’s committed to improving defensively too. “He has made improvement, and we want to invest more resources and time into that development,” the Heat coach said, according to Jackson. “(He) still has a way to go in terms of getting in Miami Heat shape, but he’s come a long way.”
- Davion Mitchell, Dru Smith, and Kasparas Jakucionis aren’t stars, but the Heat’s point guards all “bring something different” and are “really important to our team,” Spoelstra said on Friday. Writing for the Sun Sentinel (subscription required), Winderman explores the strengths of each player and considers whether there will be room for all of them in the rotation with Herro back.
Southeast Notes: Herro, Kuminga, Wagner, Ball
Heat guard Tyler Herro has been sidelined since January 15 due to what the team referred to as a rib injury. According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, Herro suffered a buckle rib fracture affecting three ribs during a January 10 game in Indiana. He was able to play for three more games after that, receiving Toradol shots to treat his pain, but an MRI revealed the extent of the injury, prompting the club to shut him down for several weeks.
Herro’s time on the inactive list appears to be nearing an end, however. He’s expected to practice on Thursday and return to game action at some point in the coming days, assuming he doesn’t experience any setbacks, Chiang writes.
Injuries have been an issue all season long for Herro, who has been limited to just 11 outings. He has looked like his usual self when he’s been available, averaging 21.9 points in 31.7 minutes per game, with a .497/.358/.902 shooting line.
As Chiang observes, the former All-Star should provide a boost for an offense that has struggled following a strong start to the season. Miami ranks just 22nd in the NBA in offensive rating since December 5, with Herro appearing in just six games during that stretch.
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Recently acquired Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga isn’t yet ready to suit up for his new team — Atlanta announced on Wednesday (via Twitter) that Kuminga will be reevaluated in one week as he continues to rehabilitate a left knee bone bruise. Still, Ken Sugiura of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required) is intrigued by what the former seventh overall pick could bring to the team once he’s healthy, suggesting that the transition-oriented style favored by Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could be a good match for Kuminga’s skill set.
- Magic forward Paolo Banchero said on Wednesday that it’s “unfortunate” teammate Franz Wagner is facing another extended absence due to a troublesome ankle issue, but he stressed that he doesn’t want Wagner coming back “before he’s ready.” As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel writes (subscription required), head coach Jamahl Mosley echoed that message. “It’s so important — his ability to get it all the way right where he’s not trying to be in, then out, and then the soreness continues to get to him,” Mosley said. “Just making sure it’s right … It’s the long haul for him. It’s the long part of his career that we’re looking at more than anything.”
- Hornets star LaMelo Ball was involved in a car accident in uptown Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon, but he wasn’t injured, according to a report from Joe Marusak, Alex Zietlow, and Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Witnesses described Ball’s camouflage Hummer crashing into a silver sedan in the middle of an intersection and said he eventually exited his car and was escorted into another car.