Observations and different notes of curiosity from Thursday night time’s 123-110 loss to the Warriors:
– These are moments when Jimmy Butler reminds of how he received the Heat to the 2020 NBA Finals and inside one shot of the 2022 Finals.
– There are extra creative, extra environment friendly gamers.
– But extra dogged and decided?
– It would have been simple to mail within the second night time of a back-to-back in opposition to the rested defending NBA champions.
– Instead, Butler tried to do all of it.
– And practically did.
– But the roster is imperfect.
– Or at the very least a piece in progress.
– Thus the 2-4 file.
– But in large moments, there stays a Butler approach.
– Which retains the Heat a menace.
– And nicely once more may have Butler as a menace deep into the spring.
– For now, respect the hassle.
– Deal with the loss.
– And know that if two or three others step up on the similar time, something stays potential.
– For the fifth time of their six video games, the Heat opened with Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Butler, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry.
– The exception had been when Martin was suspended for Monday night time’s loss to the Raptors.
– But the rotation was altered even earlier than the opening tip, when backup middle Dewayne Dedmon was dominated out with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
– And that was with Omer Yurtseven not solely nonetheless out with an ankle impingement, but in addition despatched again to South Florida earlier within the day.
– Limited within the frontcourt, the Heat activated undrafted rookie Jamal Cain for simply the second time, with Cain restricted to 50 video games on the energetic roster together with his two-way contract.
– Max Strus and Nikola Jovic, within the void of huge males, have been first off the Heat bench.
– They have been adopted by Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent.
– Bam Adebayo is now one look from 350 regular-season video games.
– Butler’s third try moved him previous Jamal Mashburn for twenty third on the Heat all-time checklist.
– Butler’s third basket moved him previous Josh Richardson for twentieth on the Heat all-time checklist.
– With his first steal, Butler handed Rony Seikaly for 14th on the Heat all-time checklist.
– Adebayo’s fourth basket moved him previous Kevin Edwards for thirteenth on the Heat all-time checklist.
– Butler’s fourth rebound moved him previous Kevin Willis for twenty sixth on the Heat all-time checklist.
– In a considerably odd twist, the Heat despatched Yurtseven again to South Florida on Thursday after he traveled ostensibly solely to be with the crew at Wednesday’s shootaround and recreation in Portland.
– The crew mentioned the return dwelling was not due to a setback together with his ankle impingement.
– “I actually think he is making progress,” coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned pregame. “We wanted to just get him checked out, and then he’ll train there and then hopefully he’ll be able to ramp up when we get back.”
– Spoelstra added, “It was really to just have him with us, and then training him, and then we met. And then we thought he would benefit more there. And like I said, hopefully when we get back, he’ll start to prepare and get ready to play.”
– Warriors coach Steve Kerr went in downplaying whether or not it was any sort of early-season showdown.
– “I’m not really concerned about who we are playing right now,” he mentioned. “I think it’s really just about us getting better each day and trending in the right direction. We have so many things that we have to improve, so whether we are playing Miami, Charlotte, or Detroit, it doesn’t matter.”
– The recreation accomplished the second of the Heat’s 14 back-to-back units this season, coming off Wednesday night time’s victory in Portland. The Heat cut up their earlier back-to-back set, dropping at dwelling final Friday to the Celtics after which defeating the visiting Raptors on Saturday night time.
– Former Heat ahead Andre Iguodala continues to work his approach again into form after deciding to play one other season with the Warriors, noncommittal at shootaround relating to a goal return date.
– “I’ll be there when I’ll be there” was the restrict of Iguodala’s timetable.
– Iguodala mentioned he’ll know as a result of his physique will inform him.
– “I have a load that I’m looking for, an analytical load,” Iguodala, 38, mentioned. “There’s a number that you want to have as an output with the devices that we wear, the tracking devices. I’ve hit that a couple of times and we know how many times a week I need to hit that.”
– If the Warriors wanted additional gas for Thursday night time, it was offered by Charles Barkley, who supplied harsh takes on Klay Thompson and Draymond Green after TNT’s protection of the Warriors’ Tuesday loss in Phoenix.
– Said Barkley, “This crew is older. That’s what’s actually taking place to them. As a lot as I really like Klay, he’s slipping. Same factor with Draymond. They’re not the identical. In the Finals, you’ll be able to see they’re not the identical guys they have been two or three years in the past. So after I watch the Warriors play, I say, ‘Oh man, Father Time is knocking on the door of a couple of those guys.’ “
– Barkley took it a step additional with Thompson.
– “There was a time when Klay Thompson was the best two-way guard in the NBA and he’s not the same guy and that’s because of injuries,” Barkley mentioned. “Is he done? No, I don’t think he’s done. I think he’s slowing down and it’s catching up with him, that’s why he’s frustrated.” Thompson was ejected from that recreation in Phoenix.
– That, Barkley mentioned, means the Warriors must experience the wave with their youthful gamers and rely much more on Stephen Curry.
– “Steph got a lot more work to do now,” Barkley mentioned. “Those young guys really are going to have to step up or this team is not going to win the championship if those young guys don’t start carrying the team.”
– Thompson scored the Warriors’ first 5 factors Thursday. He had solely two in Phoenix earlier than he was ejected.
– Spoelstra entered 5 victories from tying Mike Fratello for twenty second on the NBA all-time regular-season checklist.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com