Heat Notes: Adebayo, Martin, Oladipo, January Deadlines
All-Star Heat center Bam Adebayo beleives he’s the best defender in the league, making the claim in a Q&A with Mark Medina of NBA.com.
“I feel like I’ve been the best defender in the last two seasons,” Adebayo said. “I can guard one through five and I can guard anybody on the court. In past seasons, that’s how I got on the court. Defense is how I got to where I am today. That’s never going to be away. I’m always going to have the mindset of wanting to be in the top five on both units.”
Adebayo is certainly the fulcrum of one of the league’s best defenses. The Heat currently rank second in opponent points allowed per game (109.1) and sixth in defensive rating (111.4). His most seasoned teammate thinks he has also evolved as a leader.
“The more he talks, the less I have to do,” reserve big man Udonis Haslem told Medina. “He takes over the huddles. He holds guys accountable. He’s engaged. He’s building that trust and relationship with guys. That’s what you want from your best player.”
Through 36 games this season, Adebayo is averaging a career-high 21.8 PPG while shooting 54.4% from the field and 81.8% from the charity stripe. He’s also chipping in 10 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.8 BPG.
There’s more out of South Beach:
- Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra believes 6’5″ starting power forward Caleb Martin is growing more comfortable in his new role, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “His versatility is vital to our group,” Spoelstra said. “Night after night after night, he’s taking on all the different kinds of challenges that this league can present, whether he’s guarding the small, super-quick guys, or whether he’s switching on to centers. And he has great instincts for deflections and steals…. Our defense always just seems to be a whole lot more active and fast when he’s out on the court. He’s a playmaker out there, which really truly fits with Jimmy [Butler] and Bam.” Winderman notes that the Heat still intend to make Martin into a reliable spot-up three-point shooter.
- Miami reserve shooting guard Victor Oladipo continues to find his way with the club this season, Winderman writes in a separate story. “He’s been getting more comfortable, more confident, getting his legs under him,” Spoelstra remarked. “And he’s a big-time X-factor for us, on both sides of the floor… And I’ve mentioned this before — his growth and improvement and how he feels comfortable within the system and everything, that won’t be linear. It’ll be some minor ups and downs with it, because he has missed a good deal of time.”
- Three notable NBA dates in January aren’t having a huge impact on the Heat, explains Winderman in another article. Because of the league’s proximity to the luxury tax, the club as currently comprised won’t be in the market for 10-day contracts, the window for which opened Thursday. The team opted to guarantee reserve big Haywood Highsmith‘s contract for the season Saturday and also seem destined to guarantee the contracts of intriguing two-way players Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson at the January 20 two-way guarantee deadline.
Heat To Guarantee Haywood Highsmith’s Salary
The Heat are guaranteeing the remainder of Haywood Highsmith‘s salary for 2022/23, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Highsmith went undrafted in 2018 out of Wheeling University, a Division II school. Now in his third season, the 26-year-old has bounced between the NBA and the G League over the past five years, but appears to have found a nice niche with Miami.
His stats definitely don’t stand out — he’s averaging 4.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .383/.310/.375 shooting (only 16 free throw attempts, so a very small sample size) through 27 games (19.5 MPG). However, Highsmith is a strong and versatile defensive player, as head coach Erik Spoelstra noted a couple weeks ago.
The combo forward only had a $50K partial guarantee entering the preseason, but that increased to $400K when he made the Heat’s regular season roster. He signed a three-year, minimum-salary deal with Miami last March, and his salary for next season is non-guaranteed.
Scotto’s Latest: LaVine, Mavs, Heat, Dort, Raptors
Rival executives believe the Knicks, Mavericks, Lakers, and Heat would be among the most likely suitors for Zach LaVine if the Bulls were to make him available prior to this season’s February 9 trade deadline, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on the latest episode of HoopsHype’s podcast. However, with Chicago still hanging onto the 10th seed in the East despite a disappointing first half (17-21), there’s no indication that the team is on the verge of becoming a seller.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- The Mavericks owe their 2023 first-round pick to New York, but control all their future picks and could theoretically move one or more at the trade deadline. However, Scotto has heard the Mavs will be reluctant to give up a first-rounder unless it’s for a player they believe can help make them a title contender this season.
- Rival executives are keeping a close eye on the Heat as a team that may be active before the deadline, says Scotto. After finishing with the East’s best record in 2021/22, Miami is just 20-19 so far this season and holds the No. 8 seed. The team never really replaced P.J. Tucker after he departed in free agency and should have some tradable contracts, especially after Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon become movable on January 15 (though Oladipo will have veto power).
- Luguentz Dort is another player who will become trade-eligible on January 15, but don’t expect him to be mentioned in any rumors this season, according to Scotto, who says the Thunder view him as a part of the team’s long-term future alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Some people around the league believe the Raptors will be more active in trade talks beginning in mid-January, Scotto says. Toronto may have a better sense by then of which direction the team’s season is headed.
Duncan Robinson Undergoes Finger Surgery, Out At Least Four Weeks
7:45pm: The surgery to repair a ligament in the second finger of Robinson’s right hand was successful, the Heat announced. He will begin the rehabilitation process next week.
1:45pm: Heat forward Duncan Robinson is undergoing surgery on his right hand to address a finger injury, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links).
Robinson will be sidelined for at least four weeks before being reevaluated, Chiang adds. The procedure is taking place today in Los Angeles.
Robinson initially injured the finger back in November in Washington when it got caught in another player’s jersey during the Heat’s shootaround (Twitter link via Chiang). He has missed 10 games since then, though most of those absences were simply DNP-CDs or were attributed to a left ankle sprain rather than the finger injury, which he has attempted to play through.
A second opinion on Tuesday helped convince Robinson to take the surgical route, he said today, clarifying that he has a ligament tear in the finger (Twitter link via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel).
A starter from 2019-22, Robinson has seen his role cut back this season. He’s coming off the bench and is averaging just 17.9 minutes per night, his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2018/19.
The 28-year-old is still a valuable floor spacer for Miami and recently became the franchise’s all-time leader in threes, but his 3PT% has slipped to .331 this season. He’s a career 40.1% shooter from beyond the arc.
With Robinson out for at least four weeks, the Heat now have three players on the shelf with longer-term injuries. Nikola Jovic (back) and Omer Yurtseven (ankle) are also expected to remain unavailable until at least February.
Eastern Notes: Heat, Crowder, Embiid, Magic, Bulls
The Heat have frequently been cited as a potential trade suitor for Suns forward Jae Crowder, but a source who has spoken to Miami’s front office believes the Heat may only be interested in Crowder if he’s bought out, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Jackson adds that the Heat would likely still have interest in trading for Crowder if the Suns are willing to accept a “bad contract,” which is presumably a reference to Duncan Robinson‘s deal — it still has three years and $57MM+ left after this season. However, the Suns won’t want to take on Robinson and are a good bet to eventually find a deal they like for Crowder without having to resort to a buyout. In other words, if Jackson’s source is right, it sounds like Miami is a long shot to land the veteran forward.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers will be without star center Joel Embiid on Wednesday vs. Indiana due to left foot soreness, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid landed on Jaxson Hayes‘ foot during the fourth quarter of Monday’s game vs. New Orleans, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), who says the big man will be considered day-to-day moving forward.
- Magic center Wendell Carter and swingman Gary Harris have played limited roles since returning from injuries on December 23 — neither player has seen more than 25 minutes of action in any of their three games back. However, Carter and Harris will have their minutes restrictions lifted on Wednesday, per head coach Jamahl Mosley. Orlando still has four players serving suspensions and will have just nine players available vs. Oklahoma City, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.
- Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago evaluates 11 hypothetical – and perhaps far-fetched – deadline trades for the Bulls submitted by fans.
Bam Adebayo Has Claimed A Significant Role In Miami's Offense
- Heat center Bam Adebayo has responded to management’s desire for him to take on a larger role in the offense by averaging career highs this season with 21.5 points and 15.6 shots per game, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo posted his second consecutive 30-point game in Monday’s victory over the Clippers. “I saw him this summer,” Victor Oladipo said. “I saw the work he put in, I saw his growth. It’s no shock to people who’ve seen his grind. So, it’s no shock. I’m not surprised he’s having the year he’s having.”
Heat’s Nikola Jovic Out At Least One Month With Back Injury
Heat rookie Nikola Jovic has a lower back stress reaction. He will be sidelined four weeks and then will be reevaluated, the Heat’s PR department tweets.
The Serbian forward was the 27th pick in last June’s draft. He has appeared in 15 games this season with the Heat, including eight starts, averaging 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game. He has also appeared in six G League games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
It’s a tough setback for Jovic, though he figured to spend more time in the G League as the Heat got healthier.
Jovic is making approximately $2.24MM in his first season and $11.5MM across his four-year rookie deal. The 19-year-old averaged 11.7 points per game last season while playing for Mega Basket in Europe’s ABA League.
Heat Notes: Butler, Jovic, Garrett, Martin
Jimmy Butler has missed 10 games this season due to right knee soreness and injury management and he’s still dealing with it, he told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I still got some work to do,” the Heat forward said. “It’s not where it needs to be.”
Butler, who has been medically cleared to play back-to-backs, and the Heat’s staff will continue to monitor the situation. “I can go out there and compete.” he said. “I can’t say that I’m fully healthy. .. The more rest that I have and able to get that recovery that I need is always going to be better.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Rookie big man Nikola Jovic has returned to South Florida for further evaluation of a back injury, Winderman reports in the same story. Jovic experienced back soreness after playing Saturday with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
- Guard Marcus Garrett has played two games with the Skyforce, Winderman notes. Garrett underwent surgery in October for a right wrist fracture and the Heat subsequently waived him. They may consider bringing him back on a two-way deal depending upon how he performs in the G League.
- Caleb Martin said after the Monday shootaround that he’s a game-time decision against the Clippers, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. He has missed the last two games with a quad strain.
Herro Emerging As Go-To Clutch Scorer; Spoelstra Preaching Patience To Oladipo
- Heat guard Tyler Herro, who signed a four-year extension before the season started worth a guaranteed $120MM, is emerging as a go-to clutch scorer, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro hit his third game-winner of ’22/23 on Saturday in Utah, Chiang notes, capping off a 29-point, nine-rebound, six-assist effort.
- Victor Oladipo has had a difficult stretch over the past four years, missing a significant amount of time due to a series of leg injuries. While he has played strong defense since returning from left knee tendinosis, he has mostly struggled offensively. However, the Heat guard broke out of his slump by recording 23 points, five rebounds and five assists on Saturday. Head coach Erik Spoelstra believes it could take most of the season for him to really find his rhythm, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I told him the other day, I want him to have a little bit of grace with himself going through this process,” Spoelstra said as part of a larger quote. “We love being on this journey with him and, ultimately, I think it will still take 40 or 50 games for him to get fully in rhythm. But we got a snapshot of what it could look like at the end of this.” Oladipo has now played 11 games in ’22/23, and the Heat have 45 games remaining on their regular season schedule.
Southeast Notes: Butler, Lowry, McDaniels, Oubre
A consultation with a Los Angeles doctor over the weekend resulted in good news on the state of Heat All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler‘s sore right knee, reports Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Butler sat out Miami’s narrow 126-123 victory over the Jazz last night but has been cleared to play in back-to-backs going forward, a source tells Chiang.
In 23 games this year, Butler is averaging 21.8 PPG on .528/.340/.829 shooting splits. He’s also chipping in 6.7 RPG, 5.8 APG and 2.1 SPG for the 19-18 Heat.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- $28.3MM Heat starting point guard Kyle Lowry may need to step up his game or risk being rotated out of the team’s closing lineups for good, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida South Sentinel. The 36-year-old was recently sat for the entirety of the fourth quarter in the Utah win, after experiencing consecutive down nights in back-to-back games against the Nuggets and Jazz.
- Fourth-year Hornets reserve small forward Jalen McDaniels recently spoke with Alex Kennedy of Basketball News about his long road to major rotation time. “Playing in the G League [for much of his rookie season], it just got me real confident — just letting me play through my mistakes and play a lot of minutes,” McDaniels said. “I learned a lot of the game, coming from the G League, playing in a lot of games and just knowing what to expect. I feel like my game is just locked in and I know where I’m supposed to be.” This season, McDaniels is averaging a career-most 10.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.0 SPG in 25.9 MPG.
- Starting Hornets small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. will be sidelined for at least a few games as he grapples with a sprained left hand, reports Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “He’s working, doing as much as he can now to try and get back,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “Hopefully we’ll know more in the next couple of days. The hand is funny, it just got banged a bunch of times, and this was twice in a short period of time. It was really sore. You could see he was struggling to catch the ball. He definitely needs time for sure.”