The Miami Heat, in the opinion of coach Erik Spoelstra, always has what it takes to win a game. Spoelstra doesn’t give his squad any opportunity to rely on justifications, regardless of who is available or unavailable.
That has shown to be a wise and successful strategy this season, as the Heat are now 16-12 despite having missed the fourth-most games in the NBA this year (89 games) due to injuries as of Thursday, according to Spotrac’s injury tracking. The Heat and Los Angeles Lakers are the only two teams in the NBA with a winning record out of the six clubs that entered Thursday having missed more than 80 games. The struggling Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Hornets, and the Heat are the only three teams with more missed games this season.
We really believe we have a lot of depth,” Spoelstra remarked. “Since we have excellent continuity, I don’t worry as much about individuals missing games. We already know that it’s more about creating consistency in our identity. The continuity is here. Whoever is out there, we know what we should attempt to do. All we have to do is do it more often.
Despite missing starting center Jimmy Butler (strained left calf) and backup center Kevin Love (stomach ailment), the Heat performed it more consistently on Wednesday night, winning 115-106 away against the stronger Orlando Magic. Tyler Herro, who finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, led the seven Heat players who scored in double figures for the win.
The Heat, who have only had their starting trio of Bam Adebayo, Butler, and Herro available for seven of the first 28 games, recorded another narrow victory. With Adebayo, Butler, and Herro available, the Heat are 4-3 on the season; without any of them, they are 12-9.
Due to a left hip strain, Adebayo has already missed ten games this season. Prior to playing again in Monday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he missed seven straight games.
This season, Butler has missed five games: two due to a sprained right ankle, one due to rest, one for personal reasons, and one for a strained left calf sustained during Wednesday’s victory over the Magic. Due to a sprained right ankle, Herro missed 18 games in a row this season before making a comeback to the court on Monday against the Timberwolves.
