Heat’s Victor Oladipo set to make season debut vs. Pistons. But Jimmy Butler out
There had been little clarity offered by the Miami Heat regarding a timetable for guard Victor Oladipo’s return until Tuesday’s injury report was released at 1:30 p.m.
Oladipo was upgraded to questionable for the first time this regular season for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons at FTX Arena. The expectation is Oladipo, who has yet to play this season because of left knee tendinosis, will make his season debut against the Pistons.
Oladipo recently resumed practicing with the Heat and began traveling with the team on trips last month. When asked last week whether he would soon make his season debut, Oladipo did not give a definitive answer.
“I don’t know,” Oladipo said. “We’ll see. It’s more of a day-to-day thing, how I feel and what we feel makes the best sense. I trust our training staff and the people I work with as well, coming up with a solid plan and make sure I’m ready to go.”
While Oladipo is expected to make his return, the Heat ruled out star Jimmy Butler (return to competition reconditioning) for Tuesday’s game against the Pistons on the second night of a back-to-back set. Butler, who logged 33 minutes in Monday’s loss in Memphis, played in the last two games after missing the previous seven games because of right knee soreness.
Along with missing Butler, the Heat will remain without Jamal Cain (G League) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle surgery) against the Pistons. Dewayne Dedmon (left foot plantar fasciitis) and Gabe Vincent (left knee effusion) will also miss Tuesday’s game after playing on Monday night.
The other 11 players on the Heat’s roster are expected to be available for Tuesday’s game, including guard Kyle Lowry, who was listed as questionable for the contest because of left ankle discomfort.
Lowry, 36, is the only Heat player who has not missed a game yet this season. He entered Tuesday with the eighth-most minutes (874) logged in the NBA this season.
The Pistons will be without Buddy Boeheim (G League), Cade Cunningham (left shin soreness), Braxton Key (G League) and Isaiah Livers (right shoulder sprain) against the Heat.
As for Oladipo’s impending return, Tuesday will mark just the 13th regular-season game that he has appeared in with the Heat since Miami acquired him in a trade in March 2021. But he was a consistent part of the Heat’s rotation during last season’s playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals.
Oladipo already endured two long recoveries stemming from a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee in January 2019 that required a second surgery in May 2021. He waited until March 7 to make his season debut last season following an 11-month recovery.
With Herro, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, becoming a fixture in the Heat’s starting lineup this season, the team’s hope is that Oladipo can help fill his void as a sixth man spark. Miami’s bench enters Tuesday’s game averaging the third-fewest points in the NBA after leading the NBA in bench scoring last season.
Oladipo was voted to the NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA Third Team in 2017-18 as a member of the Indiana Pacers prior to his two knee surgeries.
This past summer, Oladipo signed a two-year, $18.2 million contract as a free agent to remain with the Heat. The deal includes a second-year player option of $9.5 million.
This story was originally published December 6, 2022 at 2:07 PM.
