Goran Dragic’s knee becoming lingering issue. He will miss Wednesday’s game vs. Jazz
Goran Dragic’s knee continues to be a concern.
The Heat’s starting point guard was ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Jazz because of his troublesome right knee.
It’s the same knee that forced him to miss two games in early November and eight consecutive games before returning in Friday’s win over the Suns. He also missed Saturday’s victory over the Clippers in Los Angeles as a precaution since it was the second night of a back-to-back set.
“His knee was sore after the game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Dragic following the team’s morning shootaround Wednesday.
“We’ve been dealing with it for a month. So the situation is the same.”
There wasn’t an X-ray or MRI planned as of Wednesday afternoon, but Dragic’s knee has clearly become a lingering issue. An MRI on the knee returned negative last month.
Stiffness and swelling in the knee have been the biggest issues Dragic has faced with the injury. He had fluid drained from his right knee more than three weeks ago.
“It’s frustrating,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said of Dragic’s knee injury. “It messes with everything, from the standpoint of your family life, what kind of mood you’re in. Obviously, someone special like Goran who loves to play this game, it messes with your confidence. So it messes with you in so many different ways. It sucks. Point-blank, period, it sucks.”
The Heat has posted a 5-7 record in the 12 games Dragic has missed this season (11 because of his right knee issue and one because of a right foot injury).
Finding efficient offense has been a challenge for the Heat without Dragic.
Entering Wednesday, Miami has scored 108.5 points per 100 possessions with Dragic playing and 103.1 points per 100 possessions without him this season. Also, the Heat has outscored opponents by 29 points with Dragic on the court and has been outscored by 38 points when he’s not on the court.
Dragic is averaging 15.3 points on 41.2 percent shooting, to go with 4.9 assists in 14 games this season.
▪ Center Hassan Whiteside is expected to rejoin the Heat in Memphis to play in Friday’s game against the Grizzlies.
Whiteside has missed the first four games of the six-game trip because of the birth of his first child. His son was born Sunday.
Hey, Willie Reed
After arriving in Salt Lake City on Tuesday evening, a group of Heat players that included Josh Richardson and Rodney McGruder went to watch a G League game..
Why? Because their former Heat teammate Willie Reed is a member of the G League’s Salt Lake City Stars.
“It’s cool because you create some bonds with teams. Not every team, but the team that we had two years ago certainly overcame a lot,” Spoelstra said when asked about Heat players attending Reed’s G League game. “They were written off, and to be able to stay with it, persevere, develop some collective resilience and grit made it a very memorable year, and I think those memories and relationships are proven to transcend just that one season.”
Reed was part of the team’s historic 30-11 finish to the 2016-17 season. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds as Whiteside’s backup at center in his only season with the Heat.
Reed played for the Clippers and Pistons last season before this year’s stint in the G League. The 28-year-old is averaging 21.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for the Stars this season.
“It’s a grind,” Richardson said of the twists and turns Reed has taken during his basketball career. “It’s never going to go smoothly or how you thought it would go. Right now, he’s in the trenches. But he’s working at it. Hopefully, he does get called up soon.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 3:23 PM.
