What a move to the bench would mean for Nunn and the Heat. And the Game 1 injury report
Rookie guard Kendrick Nunn said he’ll play off the Miami Heat’s bench to begin the playoffs.
Nunn, who started in each of his 67 appearances during the regular season, said following Monday’s practice that he has been told he will play as a reserve Tuesday in Game 1 of the Heat’s first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.
Who would start in Nunn’s place alongside Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, Jae Crowder and Bam Adebayo?
It appears that coach Erik Spoelstra would likely stick with veteran guard Goran Dragic as the starter in Nunn’s place. Dragic played as the Heat’s sixth man for most of the season, as he made just three starts in the 59 regular-season games he played in.
But two of Dragic’s three starts came in the past week — in the Heat’s Aug. 10 win over the Pacers and Wednesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder — while Nunn was unavailable after temporarily leaving the NBA’s Disney bubble to tend to a personal matter.
The results were very positive with Dragic in the starting lineup.
The five-man group of Dragic, Butler, Robinson, Crowder and Adebayo has posted an impressive plus/minus of plus-33 in 51 minutes together this season. In the two games this lineup started in the bubble, it was a plus-25 in 21 minutes.
Spoelstra’s other option is to start rookie guard Tyler Herro in Nunn’s place. But Spoelstra has not given the Herro-Butler-Robinson-Crowder-Adebayo lineup much of a look in the bubble, as it was a plus-seven in five minutes together during seeding play.
One thing is for sure, this would be a new role for Nunn with the Heat. Tuesday would mark his first game playing off of Miami’s bench since the preseason.
“It won’t be an adjustment for me,” Nunn said Monday of a reserve role. “I mean, when I get out on the floor, I’m ready to go, whether that’s starting or coming off the bench.”
Nunn struggled to generate efficient offense during the Heat’s eight-game seeding schedule.
Nunn, 25, averaged 10.8 points while shooting 31.3 percent from the field and 20.7 percent on threes in the five seeding games he played in. Miami was outscored by 46 points in the 116 minutes he played during this five-game stretch, as Nunn missed the other three seeding games because he left the bubble and was forced to quarantine upon returning to the Disney campus.
“Honestly, it’s a little tough with being away from the game for so long and having COVID,” Nunn admitted following Friday’s regular-season finale when asked if it has been a challenge to get on track. “It’s a lot of things held up against me. But I’m controlling what I can control. I’m back on the floor now and just trying to get in rhythm.”
Nunn, who was named as one of three finalists for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, averaged 15.3 points while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 35 percent on threes to go with 3.3 assists in 67 regular-season games.
GAME 1 INJURY REPORT
There’s at least a chance the Heat could have forward Derrick Jones Jr. available for the start of the playoffs. Jones is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s Game 1 with a neck strain.
Spoelstra offered encouraging news, noting that Jones participated in the walk-through portion of Monday’s practice. Jones missed practice Saturday and Sunday after sustaining the neck injury in Friday’s loss to the Pacers to close the regular season.
“A bit better,” Spoelstra said of Jones on Monday. “We’ll find for sure tomorrow. He was able to go through the walkthrough part of practice today.’
The only two Heat players listed as out for Game 1 are rookies Gabe Vincent (right shoulder sprain) and KZ Okpala (personal reasons). No other Miami players were on Monday’s injury report.
The Pacers remain without All-Star center Domantas Sabonis (left foot plantar fasciitis) and Jeremy Lamb (torn left ACL) for the start of the playoffs. Forward T.J. Warren (right foot plantar fasciitis) is listed as questionable, but he is expected to play Tuesday.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 5:46 PM.
