The Heat’s plan now for Winslow, and what is quietly fueling Adebayo
Heat swingman Justise Winslow was averaging a career-high 33.7 minutes before his recent 15-game absence, but he shouldn’t expect that volume of playing time — or anything close to it — in the immediate future, his coach indicated Wednesday night.
In his first game back from an extended absence due to a bone bruise in his lower back, Winslow played 15 scoreless minutes in Wednesday’s 122-108 win at Indiana. And that’s about what he can anticipate in the immediate future.
“I wanted to get him 12 to 15 minutes and we’ll probably stay in this ballpark for a while,” Erik Spoelstra said.
Winslow missed his only two shots from the field but had two rebounds, an assist, a steal and a blocked shot.
“He does what Jimmy [Butler] and Bam [Adebayo] and [Derrick Jones Jr.] do, that kind of impact but in a totally different way,” Spoelstra said. “He has his own nuances and physicality that’s different. It was a good start.”
Winslow, who has appeared in just 11 games this season, earlier missed 10 games while in concussion protocol.
“I’ve dealt with it better this time than previous years,” Winslow said of the frustration of being out for an extended time.
How so? “By staying positive. Surrounding myself with great people, uplifting people and understanding basketball is just part of what I do. It’s not who I am. Finding joy in other things in life.”
Winslow began the season as a starter but understands the need to change his role, with the Heat at 27-10.
“The team is doing great, and that’s what it’s about,” he said. “Of course I want to be out there and contributing but… it’s about the team. They did their thing when I was out and I’m glad to be back.”
And, he said, “it’s going to take time to get where I want to get back to. It felt great to be out there and be back the guys.”
Did he feel discomfort in the back? “A little bit,” he said.
But Spoelstra said his conditioning was very good.
Winslow said he’s careful with “the way I eat, my sleeping habits, not drinking, not going out, anything that can affect your body in a negative way. I did the little things, everything I could control.”
Winslow appreciates how Derrick Jones Jr. has grown in his absence.
“Oh, he hooping,” Winslow said of Jones, who will become a free agent on July 1. “Pay that man. Pay him. Show him the money. Nah, but he’s a great player. He’s really built for this league, with his versatility, and the way he’s able to stretch the floor now. He’s also a lob threat. That’s just the brink of iceberg for him. He can really handle the ball and attack. But that’ll continue to come and grow.”
ADEBAYO’S REVENGE
Bam Adebayo, released by the USA Basketball team before the World Cup rosters were finalized in August, said that snub still fuels him, thought he insisted he doesn’t have any extra motivation against the three centers who remained on the team after his release: Indiana’s Myles Turner, Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez and Denver’s Mason Plumlee.
You sure couldn’t tell that against Turner on Wednesday, the second time this season Adebayo has dominated Indiana’s starting center. In two matchups this season, Adebayo had 36 points, 24 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 16 for 21. Turner has 22 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 8 for 18.
“I think the whole USA thing motivates me,” Adebayo said. “It’s not a particular player, more so the whole USA situation. I have got a bigger chip on my shoulder than before it happened, but things happen for a reason.”
But there’s no extra juice against Turner? “I wouldn’t take anything personal against a player,” Adebayo said. “It wasn’t his decision for me not to be on the team. Just trying to prove them wrong.”
Adebayo, after Wednesday’s big road win, said good-naturedly of Spoelstra: “Coach said we’re mediocre on the road and we didn’t appreciate that so we’re trying to prove him wrong.”
BALANCED BOX
Wednesday’s boxscore was interesting in that not a single Heat player scored 20 points, but seven scored 14 or more.
“We’ve got a group full of guys we know can do that; that’s the style of play we know we can play,” Butler said.
“Everybody is so comfortable and everybody knows where everybody is going to be on the floor. We work on it every day in practice. This is a good step forward that we did it in the game. Now we have to take it to Brooklyn [for Friday’s game]. We’re a really good team when we’re locked in and doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”
Said Spoelstra: “That’s how this team is built. Jimmy facilitates this attitude and it permeates throughout the team.”
The 122 points on Wednesday were the most the Heat has ever scored against the Pacers.
If you missed it, here was Butler’s epic postgame rant against Pacers forward TJ Warren and more from Wednesday’s game.
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 9:52 AM.
