The latest update on Winslow’s injury. And Jones Jr. still waiting on dunk contest invite.
The Heat will need to continue to play without versatile forward Justise Winslow for at least the next few weeks.
Following Friday morning’s shootaround at Chesapeake Energy Arena, coach Erik Spoelstra said Winslow’s lower back bone bruise will force him to miss at least the next two weeks, and he will be re-evaluated at that time. After Friday’s matchup against the Thunder, Winslow will have already missed 19 of Heat’s past 20 games with his back injury.
“He’ll be out for two weeks, and then we’ll see where he is then and go from there,” Spoelstra said.
This two-week timetable delays a Winslow return until the Heat’s road game against the Magic on Feb. 1, at the soonest. By then, Winslow will have missed 36 of the Heat’s first 47 games of the season (two games due to lower back stiffness, nine games due to a concussion and 25 games because of a lower back bone bruise).
Winslow, 23, has played in just 11 games this season. He returned from a 15-game absence to play 16 minutes in a Jan. 8 road win over the Pacers, but he complained of continued discomfort in his back after the game and has been held out ever since.
Winslow has averaged 11.3 points while shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 22.2 percent on threes, 6.6 rebounds, and four assists this season. The Heat has outscored its opponents by 52 points in the 352 minutes Winslow has played.
“He hasn’t been available, so we’ve worked with who has been out there,” Spoelstra said earlier this week. “We’ve had to pivot a little bit, but we have a lot of guys who have that type of versatility. Ultimately, you would love to have your roster available. But that’s not realistic in this league. No team has their full complement of players and you have to be able to pivot, you have to be able to adjust.”
The Heat especially misses Winslow’s defense. Considered to be one of the team’s top defenders, he has limited those he has guarded this season to 38.7 percent shooting — 5.6 percent worse than their normal shooting percentage.
Over the previous 19 games in which Winslow has missed all but one, the Heat has posted a 13-6 record but has taken a step back defensively. Miami has allowed 111.5 points per 100 possessions during this stretch, a defensive rating that ranks 22nd in the NBA during this 19-game window.
With Winslow on the court, the Heat has posted an elite defensive rating of 99.9 points per 100 possessions. For perspective, the Bucks entered Friday with the league’s top team defensive rating for the season at 101.7.
Among Heat players who have played in at least 10 games this season, Winslow owns the top individual defensive rating.
JONES STILL WAITING
High-flying Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. is still waiting and hoping to receive an invite to this year’s Slam Dunk Contest, which will take place as part of All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 15 at the United Center in Chicago.
“I ain’t saying no, at all,” Jones said Friday, making it clear he would accept an invite to participate in the event. “Not a chance.”
Jones, 22, has said repeatedly during the past few seasons that he was hopeful for a second chance in the Slam Dunk Contest. He participated in the event as a rookie in 2017 and finished as the runner-up to Glenn Robinson III.
Lakers center Dwight Howard is reportedly the only confirmed participant in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest, up to this point. Grizzlies rookie guard Ja Morant opted not to participate in the contest despite receiving an invite, according to a Yahoo Sports report.
“If they choose to put somebody else in there, then that’s just their choice,” said Jones, who is nicknamed “Airplane Mode” because of his elite leaping ability. “I’m not going to stress it. It’s not like it’s the end of the world. I’m 22 years old. I’m not stressing it. But yeah, I would love to be in it.”
▪ Heat rookie guard Tyler Herro was an active scratch for Friday’s game against the Thunder because of a left knee bruise. It’s the second consecutive game Herro has missed with the injury.
This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 2:00 PM.
