Podcast: Whiteside returns, Heat hits rough patch and Justise Winslow is almost ready
The Miami Heat wrapped up probably its worst week of the season Sunday, and did it with another win. Hassan Whiteside made his much-anticipated return to AmericanAirlines Arena and the Heat cruised to a 122-111 win against the Portland Trail Blazers to finish the week at .500.
Across seven days through Sunday, Miami had its most up-and-down stretch of the season. It began with a blowout loss to the Washington Wizards last Monday, continued Thursday with a grind-it-out win against the Toronto Raptors, cratered back down Friday with a blowout loss to the Orlando Magic, then finished with the double-digit win against the Trail Blazers on Sunday.
The midpoint of the NBA season is nearly here, and the Heat (26-10) still hasn’t lost back-to-back games. The latest episode of the Heat Check podcast with David Wilson and Anthony Chiang, the Miami Herald’s Heat beat writer, breaks down a busy week in South Florida.
We start things off by talking about Whiteside’s return to Miami. Fans booed and chanted “We got shooters!” at Whiteside, and the star center wasn’t happy about the reception. It was fitting for the Heat to win the way it did, too. Star wing Jimmy Butler didn’t play, so Miami leaned on youth, shooting and ball movement — a blend of identities diametrically opposed to how Whiteside wants to play.
The Heat’s rotation is also starting to take shape as it heads on a three-game road trip, beginning Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. Post player Kelly Olynyk fell out of the rotation Sunday and forward James Johnson is back in after not playing a single game in December. With point forward Justise Winslow nearing his return from a lower back bruise, what will Miami’s rotation look like by the end of the road trip? Defense has been a perpetual issue for the Heat as it has struggled in the last week, and the returns of Johnson and Winslow to the rotation can only help.
We wrap things up by running through a few quick topics, including Dwyane Wade’s February jersey retirement and the All-Star outlook for Butler and star post player Bam Adebayo.
This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 11:03 AM.
