Heat using depth until Butler, Herro, others return. Why some stats mean little right now
Even after 13 games, the unusual circumstances surrounding this unique NBA season being played during a pandemic has made it difficult to get a true read on the Miami Heat.
Five-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has played in just six of the Heat’s first 13 games, and he has missed the past five games because of the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Guard Avery Bradley (protocols) and center Meyers Leonard (left shoulder strain) have also missed five games in a row.
Heat guard Tyler Herro has not played in the past three games due to neck spasms.
As a result, the Heat used its 10th different starting in the 13th game of the season. Miami used only 15 different starting lineups in last season’s pandemic-shortened 73-game schedule.
“This is the way this season is right now,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Either you put your tail between your legs and you just feel sorry for yourself with how crazy it is. Or as a competitor, you try to rise to the challenge and improve your team.”
The Heat (6-7) has chosen the latter this week, following up Monday’s home win against the Detroit Pistons with an impressive road win against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday despite missing starters Butler and Herro. It marked Miami’s first set of consecutive wins this season after starting with a 4-7 record.
“These are opportunities for your team to grow, get better dealing with adversity without making excuses,” Spoelstra said, as the Heat continues its four-game trip with another matchup against the Raptors on Friday (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Sun) at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
These short-handed situations are also opportunities for players to step into bigger roles and impress, with roster depth again a strength for Miami this season.
Second-year Heat guard Kendrick Nunn led the way in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors, finishing with a season-high 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, 4 of 6 shooting on threes, eight rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes off the bench. He also scored 18 points in 34 minutes in Monday’s win over the Pistons.
Nunn, 25, has averaged 32 minutes of playing time in the past three games with Bradley, Butler and Herro out. He averaged just 12.1 minutes of playing time before this stretch and received a DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) in three of Miami’s first eight games.
“It feels good just getting out there and getting some minutes and being able to play,” said Nunn, who made the All-Rookie First Team and finished second in the voting for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award last season. “It’s tough sitting on the bench and watching my team out there, and I know I can help us win. So it’s tough sitting on the sideline. But when my number is called, I go out there and produce. That’s what I did.”
There were others who also helped fill the offensive void left by Bradley, Butler, Herro and Leonard on Wednesday. Six Heat players finished with double-digit points against the Raptors (Nunn with 28 points, Goran Dragic with 17 points, Kelly Olynyk with 15 points, Bam Adebayo with 14 points, Duncan Robinson with 14 points, and Andre Iguodala with 13 points).
Even without two primary offensive options in Butler and Herro, Miami managed to record its second-best single-game offensive rating of the season (116.5 points per 100 possessions) on Monday and its third-best single-game offensive rating (115.6 points per 100 possessions) of the season on Wednesday.
“Strength in numbers — that’s the biggest achievement for us right now,” Adebayo said. “We’re down a couple guys, so being able to win these games where they’re gone. When they come back, it should be even better. ... We started out a little shaky, but we’re figuring it out.”
But the Heat won’t truly figure out what it can be until it’s whole or at least Butler and Herro return.
The All-Star duo of Adebayo and Butler have been on the court together for just 20.2 percent of Miami’s game minutes this season. Adebayo and Butler played together for 45.1 percent of the team’s game minutes last regular season, and then led the Heat to the NBA Finals during a memorable playoff run.
With so few Adebayo-Butler minutes to begin this season, the team’s numbers have been underwhelming. Even after two straight wins, the Heat entered Thursday with the NBA’s 19th-best offensive rating, 22nd-best defensive rating and 23rd-best net rating.
“I think even more than normal, I think you’re throwing out analytical numbers, statistics. It’s early,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday. “There are so many guys in and out all over the place. I think you’re probably making a mistake if you’re reading too much into anything yet.”
For now, the Heat is just looking to avoid falling behind in the standings as it waits for Butler, Herro and others to return. Two straight wins to begin this week helps.
“Winning is the ultimate goal, so you can tell everybody’s walking around here with smiles on their faces,” Adebayo said. “Food tastes better, you sleep easier. I always say there’s no in between. It’s either winning or misery and there’s no in between, so we just need to keep this going, keep feeding off the energy that we got and I think we’ll be OK.”
▪ Herro returned to practice Thursday and is questionable to play in Friday’s game against the Raptors. But Bradley, Butler and Leonard will miss their sixth consecutive game.
In addition, Heat center Chris Silva (left hip flexor strain) is questionable for Friday’s contest. Guards Gabe Vincent (right knee soreness) and Dragic (right foot contusion) are probable to play.
For the Raptors, forward Pascal Siakam (left groin soreness) is questionable for Friday’s contest.
This story was originally published January 21, 2021 at 10:40 AM.
