Spoelstra updates injuries with Wiggins, Robinson. And Heat’s two-way players return
When the Heat acquired Andrew Wiggins in the Jimmy Butler trade, one of his appealing qualities was his durability.
But after missing no more than 11 games in three of his previous four seasons with Golden State, Wiggins already has missed nine of his first 24 with the Heat.
He didn’t travel for the team’s ongoing three-game road trip – which begins Saturday night in Philadelphia - because of right hamstring tendinopathy.
Erik Spoelstra said Saturday that Wiggins’ hamstring has “been getting tight the last two games. We feel this is the right step, right now. We will see how he progresses.”
Does he feel empathy for Wiggins, who has missed games for four different reasons since his Feb. 6 acquisition from Golden State?
“There’s been a lot of things this year that you can’t even explain,” Spoelstra said. “Different guys going out at not the most ideal times. I know Wiggs just really wants to be out here. And everybody can see it: When he’s out there he makes us different.
“But we also have to be responsible right now and make sure it doesn’t turn into something else. By the time we got to the fourth quarter, it looked like he was gutting it out. With intensive treatment, his body should respond.”
Since joining the Heat Feb. 8, Wiggins missed one game due to a stomach illness, five games due to a sprained right ankle and two games because of a left lower leg contusion. This represents the most time Wiggins has missed over a condensed stretch since he missed substantial time in the 2022-23 season because of a medical issue involving his father, former NBA guard Mitchell Wiggins, who died last September at 64.
Wiggins is averaging 19.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game in his first 15 appearances (all starts) with the Heat since the trade.
Meanwhile, Duncan Robinson also remains back in South Florida because of a back issue that stems from “dysfunction” between the triangular bone at the base of his spine and two large bones that form the sides of his pelvis.
Spoelstra suggested this injury isn’t as problematic as the back issue that sidelined Robinson for nine of the Heat’s final 14 games last season.
“It’s different than last year,” Spoelstra said. “We think we will be able to manage it. We want to be responsible and give as much treatment and then appropriate ramp-up.”
As for why Wiggins and Robinson didn’t travel on the three-game trip, Spoelstra said: “The reason we left them back is they can do more work around the clock [in Miami]. Our trainers seem encouraged. We’ll just have to see how they progress.”
The Heat hasn’t ruled out either player joining the team on the road trip, which also includes games on Monday in Washington and Wednesday in Boston.
Change for two-ways
Unlike past years, the Heat’s two-way players didn’t get many NBA opportunities this season once Dru Smith sustained a season-ending Achilles injury on Dec. 12 after moving into the Heat’s starting lineup.
Smith, who played 14 early-season games for the Heat, was expected to be promoted to a Heat standard contract, but the injury torpedoed that and Keshad Johnson received the standard deal instead.
Smith has remained on a two-way contract while recovering from his injury, and the Heat’s other two-way players have made just eight appearances for Miami this season -- eight for Josh Christopher and none for Isaiah Stevens.
Johnson also has played sparingly: 57 minutes in 10 Heat appearances.
Christopher, Stevens and Johnson remained with the Sioux Falls Skyforce recently, but their attempt to make the G-League playoffs fell short and their season ended this week. All three players were set to rejoin the Heat by tipoff on Saturday night.
“They’re ready,” Spoelstra said. “They just have to be plug and play if they do get an opportunity. The way things have gone with guys out, those minutes could be available. They’re ready physically, mentally, emotionally. Everybody is disappointed they didn’t make the playoffs but they made a heck of a run.”
Stevens excelled as a playmaker in the G-League – averaging 8.1 assists per game - and Christopher was an explosive scorer, but neither shot particularly efficiently this season. Stevens shot 40.4 percent overall and 32.1 percent on threes while averaging 12.3 points per game. He missed about a month with an ankle injury but is fine now.
Christopher shot 41.5 percent and 30 percent on threes while averaging 20.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.1 turnovers and 2.0 steals.
Johnson is eligible for postseason, but Christopher and Stevens are not.
▪ Spoelstra said Skyforce coach Dan Bisaccio, in his first year in that job, “really did a great job developing our guys, installing a system and a culture there. It’s basically a full year deal.
“Summer league was a big part of the guys’ development. When you see Kel’el [Ware], Pelle [Larsson], it goes back to last July. This year, really grinding through a lot of different rosters, lot of different changes. We all really respect the job Dan did. He’s a heck of a coach.”
▪ Spoelstra clarified a comment he made Thursday about Tyler Herro after he scored 36 points on 13 for 17 shooting in a win against Atlanta.
“When I said the other night we didn’t run one play [for him], it didn’t mean he didn’t have the ball in his hands. It didn’t mean he didn’t bring the ball up,” Spoelstra said. “He’s learning how to play on cuts and off the ball… He’s much more patient.”
This story was originally published March 29, 2025 at 1:04 PM.
