Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 135-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors:
– No matter where you stand on Jimmy Butler, no one wants to see that, the former Heat forward being helped off the court midway through the third quarter.
– After having several statement moments early against his former team.
– With Bam Adebayo getting the initial defensive assignment.
– But such also is the risk with older players.
– No, not random injuries such as Butler’s in this one, but rather the potential recovery time.
– Which does make it different from the rib issue the Heat are dealing with at the moment with Tyler Herro.
– No sooner was Butler dealt from the Heat last February than he signed a two-year, $111 million extension with the Warriors.
– As in $54 million this season and $56.9 million next season.
– With the Heat, by contrast, holding off with Herro, as he deals with his own injury issues.
– Availability as ability still matters.
– As the Heat continue to learn with Herro.
– As the Warriors likely are about to learn with Butler.
– Which is why you have to spend wisely.
– With Davion Mitchell and Jaime Jaime Jr. back but Herro out, Erik Spoelstra opened with a lineup of Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, Norman Powell and Mitchell.
– That lineup entered 2-1.
– The Warriors, in the void of Draymond Green, who was out with an ankle issue, opened with a lineup of Butler, Will Richard, Quintin Post, Moses Moody and Stephen Curry.
– It was the first time those five Warriors played together.
– Unlike the Heat, the Warriors had moved to a degree of stability with their starting lineup, opening with the save five now in 12 of their previous (Curry, Moody, Post, Green and Butler).
– Jaquez was back to being first off the Heat bench.
– Simone Fontecchio followed, with continued faith from Spoelstra.
– Solid in this one with his rebounding.
– Kasparas Jakucionis and Ware then entered together.
– Dru Smith made it 10 deep when he entered early in the second period.
– Leaving Nikola Jovic on the outside of the rotation.
– Mitchell and Jaquez were back for the Heat after missing the end of the just-concluded homestand.
– Said Jaquez of his road back from his knee sprain, “A lot of rehab, work in the pool, just everything I can to make sure my legs are strong.”
– Said Mitchell of his path back from his shoulder contusion, “It’s a lot of work in the weight room trying to get that range of motion back. Plus, the first couple of days, I couldn’t really raise my arm. So I always had to get that strengthening back and that feeling back. But I feel a lot better.”
– For the Heat, this is a particularly challenging trip, opening with a back-to-back set (with a Tuesday night game against the Sacramento Kings) and then concluding with another back-to-back set (Saturday at the Utah Jazz, Sunday at the Phoenix Suns).
– “We’ve proven we can beat anybody. We can win anywhere,” Spoelstra said. “We have to be more consistent to our identity, but that’s everything. Ultimately, it gets a little bit gnarly on the road, and we just have to collectively figure it out and do enough things consistently to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”
– Of the trip, Adebayo said, “We understand it’s going to be a little hectic. But road trips are like this. And when the team really bonds together, really gels together, we start seeing what we can become.”
– Still, the change of time zones matters.
– “It’s kind of crazy because I woke up at like four in the morning,” Mitchell said, “because I’m thinking it’s supposed to be seven in Miami.”
– Of Adebayo on Monday being named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Spoelstra said pregame, “He was a force of will, a force of nature. And as our captain, we turn to him when we have these kind of moments where we feel like we have to do whatever’s necessary to try to do things.”
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– For Wiggins, it meant his first game back at Chase Center since being dealt last season from the Warriors in the Jimmy Butler trade.
– “It’s really great to see him have that smile on his face,” Spoelstra said at the morning shootaround. “He feels very comfortable. A lot of, I’m sure, a ton of cool memories here.”
– Spoelstra also said of Wiggins, “He’s doing so much for us. It’s probably a similar role that he had during that playoff run, when they won the championship – guard all the best wings and scorers in the league.”
– It was, to say the least, a warm embrace, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr saying pregame, “He’s just a really good player. He was a good player before we got him and obviously helped us win a championship in ‘22. He’s a guy who is not afraid of the moment and he will rise up and shoot it anytime.”
– Of dealing Wiggins 11 months ago, Kerr said pregame, “He was just a joy to coach every single day. When you get a guy like that on your team and you go through a lot together, both on and off the court, then you make a trade, it’s just like that. It’s just crazy, this league, how this business operates. You have to just deal with it but it is sad when your relationships like that are all of a sudden . . . I mean you still have a relationship but you don’t see each other. So we’ll say hi out there, it’s different.”
