How the Heat plans to take advantage of an unusually light week in the schedule
There aren’t many games for the Miami Heat to play this week, but it can still be a very productive one.
With just four weeks left in the regular season, the Eastern Conference-leading Heat plays just two games this week. Miami opens the week on Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons before closing the week on Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder to cap off a season-long seven-game homestand.
The Heat then doesn’t play again until it travels to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
“It’s apropos,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “NCAA tournaments are starting up this week, so it feels like a week in a college schedule where you only play two games.”
Aside from the extra rest between games, the biggest benefit of this week’s schedule for the Heat is the practice time it allows for at home. The Heat held its first practice at FTX Arena on Monday morning since Jan. 25.
Miami is expected to practice at least one more time this week with a pair of two-day breaks ahead between Tuesday and Friday’s game and Friday and Monday’s game. For perspective, including Monday’s session, the Heat has held just four formal practices at home since the start of the regular season.
“I think it’s great to just have everyone come in and get together and put work in without necessarily an opponent in mind,” Heat starter Duncan Robinson said. “How can we maximize the group, build some continuity, come together and just all be working together in that setting. It’s something we haven’t been able to do a lot this year.”
This week’s light schedule arrives with the Heat’s roster as close to full strength as it has been in months. Caleb Martin is the only member of Miami’s 15-man roster on the injury report, as he’ll miss his third straight game on Tuesday because of a hyperextended left knee.
Heat guard Victor Oladipo and forward Markieff Morris returned from extended absences last week.
The first-place Heat entered Tuesday two games ahead of the second-place Milwaukee Bucks in the East standings. Based on combined winning percentage and not considering the road/home factor, Heat also entered Tuesday with the fourth-easiest schedule left to play in the NBA.
“I do want to take advantage of all these different things,” Spoelstra said of this week’s two-game schedule. “We want to take advantage of the opportunity to rest and get guys healthy. We also want to be able to practice a couple of times and work on our rhythm and work on some of the details on both sides of the ball. Hopefully, we’ll be able to accomplish all that and have some good competition, as well.”
SUPPORT FOR THE CANES
The Heat isn’t the only basketball team in Miami preparing for the postseason. The Miami Hurricanes men’s and women’s basketball teams both begin their NCAA Tournament runs this week.
Spoelstra is a supporter of both programs and recently reached out to Hurricanes men’s coach Jim Larrañaga to congratulate him on a two-year contract extension that was announced on March 9. Larrañaga is the winningest coach in program history.
“I actually texted coach L the other day and his staff, Chris Caputo,” Spoelstra said on Monday. “One, to congratulate him on the extension. I think coach Larrañaga has done a phenomenal job of building up the basketball program here. There’s been terrific interest in their program for the decade-plus that he’s been here. I’ve learned a lot from him. We’ve had some coaching talks over the years and it’s fun, and the same for the women’s program.”
The Hurricanes men’s team enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed, while the Hurricanes women’s team is a No. 8 seed in their tournament.
“I’m glad they both got in and I’m going to fill out my brackets,” Spoelstra said. “Hopefully they carry me with some wins.”
▪ Along with Martin, the Heat will also be without two-way contract players Kyle Guy and Javonte Smart on Tuesday against the Pistons. Both Guy and Smart remain in the G League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce as part of their two-way deals.
