Bam Adebayo

Heat Notes: Butler, Spoelstra, Defense, Richardson, Jaquez

January 18th, 2025 at 5:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler got a mixed reaction from Heat fans as he returned to the lineup Friday night following a seven-game suspension, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. There were a few boos mixed in with loud cheers as Butler was announced as part of the starting lineup. He also heard some booing the first time he touched the ball.

Both sides seem entrenched in their positions as the February 6 trade deadline nears, Chiang adds. The Heat would like to find a deal for Butler, but they’ll hold onto him until the offseason rather than making a bad trade that involves taking back unwanted contracts. They also don’t want to keep him away from the team while paying his $48.8MM salary, which is why he was back on the court Friday night.

Butler, who talked about losing his “joy” before the suspension was imposed, was asked by reporters if he thought he could rediscover it in Miami. “I was told to say no comment, so no comment,” Butler responded. He gave a similar response to a question about whether he believes the situation with the Heat can be fixed.

Coach Erik Spoelstra provided a little more insight during his pregame media session, although he declined to provide many details about how he plans to handle the situation.

“Look, we work in a league of complexity,” Spoelstra said. “We’re in an unusual place right now. But really all it is is complex and we fully plan on operating within this complexity. So it’s my job to prepare this team, get them ready to play at a high level and that’s what I’m doing. That’s what the plan is. My methods for doing it are really none of your business.”

There’s more from Miami:

While Butler has undoubtedly been a distraction during the team’s three-game losing streak, defense has been an even bigger issue, Chiang adds in a separate story. The Heat gave up 133 points Friday night, allowing Denver to score at least 30 points in all four quarters. Chiang points out that Miami is 12-0 when holding opponents to 100 points or fewer, but just 8-20 otherwise. “I know what I saw out there from a defensive standpoint,” Spoelstra said. “It was not good enough and that’s three straight games now. We found our identity of how we can win games. Then in three games, we haven’t been able to put that together and commit to that side of the floor, and we’ve paid the price.”
An MRI didn’t show anything significant involving the heel injury that has been keeping Josh Richardson out of the lineup, Chiang tweets. Richardson has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against San Antonio, but the team hopes he’ll be able to start preparing for a return to the lineup this week. He has only appeared in eight games so far this season.
In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Jaime Jaquez credits Bam Adebayo with holding the team together through the Butler standoff. “He tries to stay extremely positive and understand that whoever is in the locker room, that’s who we’re rocking with at the moment,” Jaquez said. “We got games to win. So let’s focus on the main thing, and that’s winning games. Things that are out of our control, let’s not worry about that. Let’s try to focus on what we can control. That’s been his message.”

Members Of Heat Organization Fear Jimmy Butler Situation Could Get Uglier

January 17th, 2025 at 8:17am CST by Dana Gauruder

Members of the Heat organization, including players, coaches and staffers, have grown weary of Jimmy Butler‘s feud with the front office and it’s feared that the situation could get even worse, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports.

With his team-imposed seven-game suspension over, Butler could return to action against the Nuggets on Friday. However, there’s a sense of dread in the organization that Butler could become even more of a distraction.

One unnamed source within the organization told Shelburne, “I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” while another informed her, “We don’t want him back.”

Butler reiterated his demand to be traded to president of basketball operations Pat Riley during the suspension while the team was away on a six-game road trip. Butler was furious at the length of the suspension and the potential $2.35MM in lost salary, according to Shelburne, who says the possibility of a reduction waned because Butler failed to show enough contrition.

Here’s more from Shelburne’s story:

Butler was stunned when Riley publicly criticized him after last season for missing playoff games. Butler also felt the organization had prioritized Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro over him, especially when Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra essentially anointed Adebayo as the team leader when Udonis Haslem retired.
Butler’s preferential treatment during his years with the Heat is detailed, including staying in his mansion in Boulder, Colorado during the 2023 Finals. He’s also been allowed to fly privately or stay at a different location than the team on road trips.
During the first half of a game against Oklahoma City on Dec. 20, Butler went to the locker room because of a sprained ankle, then left the arena because he told the team’s medical staff that he was feeling sick. He didn’t play the next three games and some team officials began to regard Butler as somewhat AWOL. During the last of those absences, Butler posted a video of himself playing soccer.

Heat Notes: Butler, Young Core, Adebayo, Rozier, Richardson

January 16th, 2025 at 8:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Despite the fact that Heat star Jimmy Butler reportedly made it clear he no longer wants to play for the franchise, he may suit up for Miami on Friday, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Butler is eligible to return against Denver from his team-issued suspension and was not listed on Thursday’s injury report.

The six-time All-Star was expected to meet with Arison and CEO Nick Arison on Thursday afternoon to discuss a path forward.

As has been reported, there has been little progress on a potential trade. The Heat would prefer to get a trade done sooner rather than later but will only accept a deal that will help the team both now and moving forward.

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Miami went 3-4 during Butler’s suspension, including three consecutive wins against the Warriors, Jazz and Trail Blazers. The most promising aspect of the trip, The Athletic’s James Jackson writes, is the fact that Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic all showed promise. Ware continues to play a larger role as the season goes on. Teammate Tyler Herro expressed optimism about what he saw from those players during the stretch. “Ups and downs with a young player are normal,” Herro said. “I went through it myself. I think that’s the hardest thing: just finding consistency night in and night out. That’s a challenge for any young player. I think getting the reps every night is ultimately what young guys need, to be able to continue to get better and go through ups and downs, play through mistakes. But they’re all playing very well. You can see how good they can be, and I’m really excited for them.“
Ware and Jovic have looked particularly good coming off the bench for Miami, often assisting on each other’s makes, Chiang observes in a separate story. On the other hand, Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier remain off the mark offensively, with Adebayo shooting a career-low from the field and Rozier shooting his lowest since the 2018/19 season.
Despite being active earlier this month and looking like he was on track to return soon, Josh Richardson went home from the team’s West Coast road trip early for an MRI on his heel. Richardson was ruled out due to that heel issue, according to the team (Twitter link). It’s unknown at this time when Richardson will be able to return or what the results of the MRI were.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

January 15th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat‘s game on Wednesday vs. the Lakers will be the seventh of Jimmy Butler‘s suspension, making him eligible to rejoin the team in advance of Friday’s contest against Denver. With Miami still apparently not close to finding a suitable trade involving Butler, it’s unclear what the next step in the standoff between the team and its star forward will look like.

Reporting earlier this week indicated that the Heat expect Butler to resume playing in games at the end of his suspension, and Sam Amick of The Athletic hears from a source close to Butler that the 35-year-old intends to report for duty. But given the strained relationship between the two sides, it would almost be surprising if Butler simply returns to action on Friday without incident.

The last time Butler returned from a multi-game absence amid trade rumors was on January 1, when he played vs. New Orleans after missing five games due to a minor ankle injury and an illness. He didn’t look fully engaged in that outing, frequently standing in the corner on offense without the ball in his hands.

NBA insider Chris Haynes stated during an appearance on the Le Batard Show on Tuesday (YouTube link) that the Heat openly questioned Butler’s effort after that game, which didn’t sit well with the six-time All-Star, who told reporters unprompted in his media session the following night that he always plays hard.

Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the implication from team officials that Butler wasn’t playing his hardest was one reason why he requested a trade on Jan. 2. According to Haynes, Butler’s camp also privately pushed back against the team’s suggestion that his effort was lacking, using speed and acceleration data from Second Spectrum.

As has been widely reported, Butler’s initial unhappiness with the Heat stemmed from their unwillingness to offer him the maximum-salary contract extension he was seeking over the offseason. However, another source of frustration for Butler has been his role in the team’s new-look offense, according to both Haynes and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Appearing on the Le Batard Show, Haynes noted that Miami tweaked its offensive system prior to this season in an effort to reduce its mid-range looks and increase its three-point attempts, which doesn’t cater to Butler’s skill set. As Haynes observes, Butler’s usage rate this season has dipped to 21.2%, his lowest mark since his third season in Chicago in 2013/14.

According to Chiang, Butler’s camp inquired about the adjustments to Erik Spoelstra‘s system and was told that Miami made changes in part because the forward’s inconsistent regular season availability made it difficult to build the offense around him. Conversely, Chiang writes, some people with the Heat may contend that Butler has made his role look smaller than it actually is by “making it a point in some games to run to the corner and play without the ball in his hands.”

Here’s more on Butler:

According to Chiang, Butler’s meeting with Heat owner Micky Arison is tentatively expected to take place on Thursday, so there could be more clarity on next steps after that session.
Haynes provided several more interesting tidbits during his appearance on the Le Batard Show (YouTube link), revealing that Butler and Riley didn’t communicate for several months between the offseason and January 1; Haynes also shared a story about how Butler was irked by an accounting error last spring that resulted in him not being paid until the issue was resolved 10 days later (hat tips to HoopsHype).
According to Haynes, Butler’s camp wasn’t happy about leaks suggesting that he has repeatedly taken private flights instead of taking the team charter. Haynes hears that those flights only happened a handful of times, primarily during the 2023 NBA Finals when Butler’s father was ill.
While it’s unclear if the Bucks have legitimate trade interest in Butler, two league sources insist to Amick of The Athletic that Milwaukee hasn’t been told by the forward’s camp that he doesn’t want to play there. Multiple reports previously indicated that the Bucks had been advised not to pursue Butler, but it sounds like Memphis is the only team known to have received that message.
Speaking to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the standoff between Butler and the Heat, team captain Bam Adebayo said his approach is to focus on winning games and letting the front office work out that issue. “You understand that it’s business at the end of the day, and I’ll leave it at that,” Adebayo said. “J.B. is one of my guys. So, for me, we give him space and we let him and management handle it, get involved in that. We worry about getting these wins because at the end of the day, whatever happens with him and the management, somebody still got to play these games.” According to Spears, teammate Tyler Herro praised Adebayo for showing “a lot of leadership” during a challenging time for the club.

Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Love, Ware, Richardson

January 14th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

It seems increasingly likely that Jimmy Butler will be rejoining the Heat when they return from their six-game road trip, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Butler, who is nearing the end of his suspension, has been working out at the team facility and is expected to return to the court on Friday if he’s still on the roster.

Team officials have been hoping to resolve the situation with a trade, but they reportedly haven’t made much progress. A source tells Chiang that Miami has engaged in trade talks with several teams over the past week, but isn’t close to making a deal.

In his latest Substack column (subscriber-only), Jake Fischer dives into some of the “conduct detrimental to the team” that the Heat cited when they imposed Butler’s suspension. League sources tell Fischer that Butler has skipped several morning shootarounds and has insisted on taking private flights to some games rather than traveling on the charter with his teammates.

In addition to not getting the contract extension that he wanted, Butler’s dissatisfaction may stem from the loss of several players whom he considered to be close friends, Fischer theorizes. Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin, who were starters on the team that reached the NBA Finals in 2023, all left in free agency over the past two offseasons.

“Those were [Butler’s] guys,” a source told Fischer.

Miami isn’t willing to move Butler just to get rid of a problem, adds Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. The front office is focused on finding players who can help the team win this season while taking back as little future salary as possible. The organization wants to rebuild around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro without being burdened by another large contract.

There’s more on the Heat:

Adebayo was a late scratch for Monday’s game due to a lower back contusion, Chiang states in a separate story. He had been expected to play earlier in the day, but he was downgraded to questionable during the afternoon before being ruled out a few hours before game time. Adebayo was hurt Saturday in Portland when he fell to the court while trying to catch a pass. “He’s been dealing with it for a few days,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s getting a lot of treatment and it kind of seized up on him this morning. But we’ll treat him day to day and we’ll reevaluate him.”
With Adebayo unavailable, Spoelstra gave the start to Kevin Love, who had appeared in just one of the previous 12 games, Chiang adds. Love made three three-pointers in the first seven minutes Monday night, but didn’t score again, finishing with nine points and three rebounds in 15 minutes of action. Most of the center minutes went to rookie Kel’el Ware, who had 13 points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter and now seems like an established part of the rotation. “Kel’el has been playing really well,” Spoelstra said. “And he had a very good game tonight. … He’s making progress. It seems to be every day that he’s learning something new.”
Josh Richardson has returned to Miami to have an MRI on his heel and will miss the final game of the road trip Wednesday against the Lakers, the Heat announced (via Twitter). Richardson hasn’t appeared in a game since November 18.

Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Rozier, Riley, Porter Jr.

January 4th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler‘s standoff with the Heat is the NBA’s hottest story and has overshadowed everything else going on with the team, but Butler’s teammates will have to take the court without him beginning on Saturday vs. Utah as he begins serving his seven-game suspension. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays, Bam Adebayo spoke to reporters at today’s shootaround about the awkward spot he and his teammates find themselves in.

“It’s disappointing when you see the organization and a player going head to head like that,” Adebayo said. “But the rest of us got to figure out how to win games. So for me as captain, it’s worrying about the other guys and getting them locked in and ready to go to try to compete and win a game.”

Butler has been one of the Heat’s leaders since joining the team in 2019, but his days in Miami appear numbered. He won’t play in the next seven games and may have suited up for Miami for the last time. That means the rest of the roster has to prepare to move forward without him while leaning on its other veterans for stability.

“Obviously, we still have a great opportunity, a good basketball team. So we don’t want to get caught up in all the news that’s been going around,” Terry Rozier said. “But we have a great locker room. We got guys like (Kevin Love), a vet who’s always keeping guys on their toes and making guys laugh. We got a lot of great guys in there. So we move on and we’ll find out what’s best.

“It’s tough because that’s one of your locker room guys, that’s one of your teammates,” Rozier added. “So it sucks to see that he won’t be around. But our main focus is to try to win games and control what we can control. Obviously, that’s out of our control with the guys in the locker room. But we got a lot of love for him and we wish him the best. We’re just trying to win games now.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Team president Pat Riley may want to reconsider his trademark candor in the wake of the Butler situation, suggests Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. After the Heat were eliminated from the playoffs, Riley reacted to Butler’s claim that they could have beaten the Celtics and Knicks if he hadn’t been injured by saying it’s best to “keep your mouth shut” if you’re not able to play. Riley has become known for direct statements during his long NBA career, but Winderman says that trait may have become counterproductive in player relations.
The Heat have given Butler special treatment for years, but now they’re calling his behavior “conduct detrimental” after he became unhappy about not receiving an extension, Winderman adds in a subscriber-only story.
Excessive pride from Butler and Riley has led to the current situation, but a change is also necessary because the current Heat roster isn’t good enough to compete for a title, argues Greg Cote of The Miami Herald.
Although Butler suggested during his comments to the media on Thursday that his role and his lack of “joy” playing basketball were the reasons for his dissatisfaction, it all comes down to money, contends Chris Mannix of SI.com. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (YouTube link), Butler – who was upset about not being offered a maximum-salary extension by the Heat during the offseason – wouldn’t want to sign that extension if it were offered now. That’s a moot point, since Miami certainly doesn’t intend to put it on the table at this point, but it’s a reflection of how much the relationship has deteriorated.
Exploring possible trade scenarios involving Butler, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald states (via Twitter) that Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who would need to be included in any deal with Denver, was flagged by the Heat “long ago” for medical reasons. Porter, who had back problems earlier in his career, has been healthier in recent years, and Jackson notes that his talent would be “enticing,” though Miami’s appetite for taking on multiyear salary is unclear.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Heat Notes: Butler, Spoelstra, Johnson, Stevens, Rozier

December 26th, 2024 at 12:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Although his contract situation is the leading factor (he wanted an extension and the Heat haven’t offered one), another part of the reason Jimmy Butler prefers a trade out of Miami is that he’s been hoping the team would be able to acquire more impact players, but it has been unable to do so, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link).

“Over the last three years, Jimmy Butler has wanted the Heat to go get him some help in that roster,” Charania said. “They just have not been able to land players. They’ve gone after Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving. They have not been able to land that next big fish with Jimmy Butler.

“The writing, in a lot of ways, is on the wall, for the Heat and for Jimmy Butler.”

Charania, who first reported that the Heat were willing to entertain offers for the star forward earlier this season, reiterated that Miami doesn’t feel any urgency to move Butler, which has been confirmed by multiple local reporters, including Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Head coach Erik Spoelstra responded to the latest reports on Thursday, as Chiang and Jackson relay.

“That’s just the deal,” Spoelstra said. “You have to compartmentalize in this business. We want Jimmy here. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it. And it’s just unfortunate that you have to control or deal with a lot of the noise on the outside. In terms of this morning, this was a pretty focused group coming off of the last game that we came [to Orlando, when the Heat blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead].”

ESPN and The Miami Herald have reported that Butler hasn’t formally requested a trade, but he’s not happy with his situation and is prepared to leave while still being professional. When asked directly if Butler has asked him to be moved, Spoelstra declined to answer.

“That’s all I’m going to talk about it,” Spoelstra said. “The more any of us talk about it, the more fuel it gets. It’s just really unfortunate that it just continues to build momentum outside of our building.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

All-Star center and team captain Bam Adebayo also addressed the Butler rumors, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “You go out there and you win games,” Adebayo said. “That’s how you keep the distractions out. You go out there and win games, do it together. Like I said, they’ll handle everything behind closed doors. Obviously, you have the business side of it. So at the end of the day, we’re all a family, we’re all in a brotherhood. So we’ll worry about the basketball games that we have to play.”
Dru Smith, who is on a two-way contract, was on track to be promoted to a standard deal before sustaining a torn left Achilles tendon, which will sideline him for the remainder of the season. In the wake of the devastating news, the Heat instead converted rookie forward Keshad Johnson‘s two-way contract into a standard deal. Johnson’s two-way spot was filled by Isaiah Stevens, with both signings officially completed today. “It’s well earned, we’re really happy for them,” Spoelstra said of Johnson and Stevens, per The Herald. “We congratulate them on that.”
Will Terry Rozier be able to step up in Smith’s absence? Winderman ponders that question in a subscriber-only mailbag.

Heat Notes: Ware, Butler, Christopher, Adebayo

December 23rd, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kel’el Ware was impressive on Saturday night in his first game action in nearly a month, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. With Kevin Love unavailable for personal reasons, the rookie center came off the Heat bench to deliver eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes. Coach Erik Spoelstra said the performance was a result of the work Ware has been putting in since the start of training camp.

“He has been doing what he needs to do,” Spoelstra said. “This is what I really respect about what he’s done so far as a young player. He has not gotten caught up in anything other than daily improvement, which is hard to do if you’re not necessarily playing every single game. But you commit to the process, you commit to the work in the weight room, pre-practice, film sessions, all the things. Young players sometimes can think we’re a little bit crazy with all of that, and he hasn’t. He’s embraced all of it. So it’s going to happen for him.”

One good game won’t guarantee more playing time for Ware, but there’s a greater opportunity after Miami traded backup center Thomas Bryant to Indiana. While Ware has a large learning curve as a 20-year-old on a veteran team, Chiang notes that he has impressed his teammates with his approach to the game.

“He has really fit in with us well because he just continues to work hard,” Love said. “He listens to every single one of us, he wants to apply things that are taught to him both on and off the floor. He has really just continued to chase the game.”

There’s more from Miami:

It’s appearing more likely that Jimmy Butler will finish out the season in Miami, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. Talking with NBA executives at the G League Showcase, Marks cited a “growing consensus” that the Heat will hold onto Butler past the deadline unless he becomes a distraction or they receive an offer that’s too good to pass up.
Josh Christopher hasn’t gotten into an NBA game since signing a two-way contract with the Heat, but he’s already competed for championships during Summer League and at the G League Showcase, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Christopher scored 31 points on Sunday, his 13th straight game of 20 or more, as Sioux Falls fell to Westchester. That came after leading the Summer League team to a title in Las Vegas. “Just trying to be a sponge and not take the opportunity for granted,” Christopher said, “but just take advantage of it and learn as much as I can, and use the minutes as an opportunity just to grow and help win ball games.”
The Heat are still reeling after letting a late 22-point lead slip away in Saturday’s game at Orlando, Chiang adds in a separate story. Miami was outscored 37-8 in the fourth quarter while suffering its most frustrating loss of the season. “I feel like we relaxed because we were up,” Bam Adebayo said. “I feel like that’s the karma of the game. You relax and then you let a team get hot, and then it goes the other way and you’re trying to fight back.”

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Butler, Herro, Stevens

December 21st, 2024 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat dropped a close game to Oklahoma City on Friday, but the toughest part of the night for Bam Adebayo came in the locker room, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami’s center had to get seven stitches above his left eye after being struck in the face early in the third quarter. He was able to return to the game a few minutes later, but he didn’t enjoy the medical procedure.

“I’m one of those people, I don’t really like needles,” Adebayo said. “So it’s kind of rough for me in the beginning. But if you love the game enough and obviously I do, and I love being out there with my teammates, you go through stuff like that.”

Adebayo remained effective even after the treatment, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a block in 36 minutes. The Heat outscored the Thunder by five points while he was in the game, and his determination to return inspired his teammates.

“That’s what makes Bam Bam,” Tyler Herro said. “He’s able to impact the game in so many ways. Then he gets hurt or gets his eye split open, and he’s able to get back here and get stitches and jump right back in the game. It shows how much he loves the game. He wants to be out there to help us win. That’s what you want out of your captain.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Jimmy Butler sat out tonight’s game at Orlando after leaving Friday’s contest midway through the first quarter with a stomach illness, Chiang adds. It’s the sixth missed game of the season for Butler, who has been the subject of recent trade speculation. “We got to figure this thing out,” Adebayo said of playing without Butler. “You can’t harp on who’s in, who’s out. It’s about going out there and trying to get the W.”
Herro is playing well enough to merit All-Star consideration, but actually being selected for the event will be difficult, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Herro is averaging 24.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, which are all career highs, but he faces some strong competition to land an Eastern Conference backcourt spot. “I would love to be an All-Star,” he said, “but there’s a lot of good guards in the East when you think about it. So it’ll be tough.”
Considering their lack of depth at point guard, the Heat should consider locking up Isaiah Stevens before he gets signed by another team, Winderman adds in a mailbag column. Winderman suggests promoting Dru Smith to a standard contract and giving his two-way slot to Stevens, who is currently with Miami’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The Heat have a roster opening that must be filled by December 29.

Eastern Notes: Ball, Mobley, Heat, K. Johnson

December 9th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

There was some skepticism coming into the season about whether Lonzo Ball would be healthy enough to play – and what sort of impact he’d have – for the Bulls after being sidelined due to knee issues for two-and-a-half years. Ball has only appeared in eight of 25 games, but his multi-week absence was the result of a new wrist injury rather than his surgically repaired knee, which the Bulls guard says has held up just fine so far, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times relays.

“To be honest, I’m a lot better than I thought I was going to be, early on for sure,” Ball said, referring to both his knee and his defense. “There’s still some mishaps, definitely on the ball sometimes. But for the most part I feel comfortable out there. I feel like I haven’t really missed a beat, so I just try and give good minutes when I’m out there.”

As Cowley writes, the positive effect that Ball has on Chicago’s lineup has been apparent even in his limited playing time. The club has a +6.5 net rating in his 134 minutes on the court; the team’s net rating is just -5.4 in the 1,066 minutes he hasn’t played. That’s easily the biggest on/off-court disparity among Bulls players who have logged at least 100 minutes.

According to head coach Billy Donovan, Ball’s minutes restriction was recently increased to 20 minutes per game (Twitter link via Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune). As long as he remains healthy, that limit should continue to increase.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The ankle injury Evan Mobley suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Heat isn’t considered serious, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required), who notes that the Cavaliers big man told reporters after the game he was “good.” The Cavs play just one game in the next week, giving Mobley some time to heal, which is good news, since it was evident in the second half on Sunday how much they need him on defense. “He is one of the top five defensive players in the league,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “You lose a guy like that and we had to play some small ball with Dean (Wade) at the five. He was fine, but they just took it to us. We had some spurts because of our talent. But not good enough.”
Sunday’s game was another good one for the Heat‘s current starting lineup of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Haywood Highsmith. As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald observes, substituting Robinson and Highsmith in place of Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic has made a huge different for the team — the new-look starting five has a net rating of +20.8 in 118 minutes together, whereas the old group was -20.8 in 91 minutes. “We got a lot of firepower,” Herro said of the current starting five. “Duncan brings a different element to the lineup. He’s able to create so many different advantages, which has opened up the court for me, Bam and Jimmy. Having Haywood out there as a defensive presence, you don’t have to put me or Duncan on one of the best players. It makes sense.”
It was an eventful week for Heat two-way rookie Keshad Johnson, who made his NBA debut last Monday and was named the G League Player of the Week last Tuesday, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. While Johnson has only made two brief appearances for Miami at the NBA level, the team loves the way the forward has impacted winning with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, according to Erik Spoelstra. “He’s done some dynamic things in terms of his scoring, getting to the rim, his three-point spacing has improved,” the Heat coach said. “Defensively, he’s played a lot of dynamic small ball five. He’s been able to switch and guard different kinds of guys. All of that has been good for his development.”

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