- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 409,538
- Reaction score
- 43
CHICAGO — There was a time when Bam Adebayo wouldn’t miss a game by choice. Of course, there also was a time when the Miami Heat center was young.
So, no, Adebayo said Wednesday, sitting out Monday night’s victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers with what was listed as back spasms was more a case of getting himself right for the final three games of the regular season and whatever else follows.
“It felt like it was due,” Adebayo said of sitting out Monday night in consultation with coach Erik Spoelstra. “Me and Spo had a conversation and thought that was the best decision, so we got to sit out one and back to it.”
That had Adebayo fully back into the mix ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center, without concern about additional missed time.
“No, lingering’s over,” he said of his back. “Just needed that day and we’re good.”
With the Heat to conclude this two-game trip Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans and then close out their regular season at Kaseya Center against the Washington Wizards, it has the 27-year-old big man on pace to play the most games of his eight-year career since he played all 82 in 2018-19, in his second year in the league.
With Monday more of a day of rest than an injury absence, it leaves Adebayo’s only injury absences as when he sat out the Jan. 13 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a back contusion and the Feb. 13 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks with a knee contusion.
He said lessons learned from Heat veterans over the years have been key to keeping him on the court.
“It just shows the work that you put in the offseason and obviously throughout the season keeping your body right, staying healthy, doing the things behind the scenes,” he said. “I’ve been on a couple of teams with guys with a lot of longevity, so just trying to follow that path.”
With Wednesday night opening the final trip of the season, the entire roster and staff made the trip, with the exception of center Kevin Love, who remains away from the team due to a family matter.
That had Nikola Jovic, who has been out since breaking his right hand on Feb. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks, back on the court during Wednesday morning’s shootaround.
Asked what could be read into Jovic’s presence, Spoelstra said, “That we have all of our staff here. He’s able to do a lot more on the court, so that made sense.”
Spoelstra declined to offer whether Jovic could make it back before the end of the season.
“That I don’t know yet,” he said. “He’s basically doing everything. It’s just whether his hand can take contact.”
Jovic had been a rotation player prior to his injury.
Spoelstra offered mixed emotions about the Denver Nuggets dismissal of coach Michael Malone and the promotion of assistant David Adelman as interim coach.
Spoelstra coached against Malone in the 2023 NBA Finals, with a clear respect between the two, with Adelman the son of former Portland Trail Blazers coach Rick Adelman, with Spoelstra’s father a long-time Blazers executive.
“I have such deep respect for Mike. I feel for him and his family,” Spoelstra said. “He’s done so much for the organization, given his heart and soul to it and building a culture that’s respected.
“He’s a championship-level coach. Everybody in our organization understands how good he is. The tough part of this business is you have to come to the realization that there are a lot of things that can be true. That’s why I’m also so appreciative of our organization, not only the stability, the consistency over the years, but the support, especially through some tough waters.”
As for David Adelman, Spoelstra said his longtime family friend deserves the opportunity.
“David Adelman, it’s a tough situation to go into,” Spoelstra said. “But I’ve known David for a long time. He’s ready for it. He’s the right guy to be able to lead that team in unusual circumstances.
“He’s a heck of a coach, a brilliant basketball mind. He was due to get an opportunity. We wish it wouldn’t happen like this. But David, he’ll be just fine. He’s prepared for this moment.”
Continue reading...
So, no, Adebayo said Wednesday, sitting out Monday night’s victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers with what was listed as back spasms was more a case of getting himself right for the final three games of the regular season and whatever else follows.
“It felt like it was due,” Adebayo said of sitting out Monday night in consultation with coach Erik Spoelstra. “Me and Spo had a conversation and thought that was the best decision, so we got to sit out one and back to it.”
That had Adebayo fully back into the mix ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center, without concern about additional missed time.
“No, lingering’s over,” he said of his back. “Just needed that day and we’re good.”
With the Heat to conclude this two-game trip Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans and then close out their regular season at Kaseya Center against the Washington Wizards, it has the 27-year-old big man on pace to play the most games of his eight-year career since he played all 82 in 2018-19, in his second year in the league.
With Monday more of a day of rest than an injury absence, it leaves Adebayo’s only injury absences as when he sat out the Jan. 13 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a back contusion and the Feb. 13 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks with a knee contusion.
He said lessons learned from Heat veterans over the years have been key to keeping him on the court.
“It just shows the work that you put in the offseason and obviously throughout the season keeping your body right, staying healthy, doing the things behind the scenes,” he said. “I’ve been on a couple of teams with guys with a lot of longevity, so just trying to follow that path.”
Jovic travels
With Wednesday night opening the final trip of the season, the entire roster and staff made the trip, with the exception of center Kevin Love, who remains away from the team due to a family matter.
That had Nikola Jovic, who has been out since breaking his right hand on Feb. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks, back on the court during Wednesday morning’s shootaround.
Related Articles
- NBA Most Improved Player? Heat’s Tyler Herro has his own support group
- ASK IRA: Should Heat or any other 10th-place team be competing for the playoffs?
- Heat’s Bam Adebayo to return in Chicago, Wiggins also travels
- Only in the NBA: Heat-Bulls for 9th place ‘to feel like a playoff game’
- ASK IRA: Is Bulls’ Tuesday result in Cleveland critical to Heat play-in push?
Asked what could be read into Jovic’s presence, Spoelstra said, “That we have all of our staff here. He’s able to do a lot more on the court, so that made sense.”
Spoelstra declined to offer whether Jovic could make it back before the end of the season.
“That I don’t know yet,” he said. “He’s basically doing everything. It’s just whether his hand can take contact.”
Jovic had been a rotation player prior to his injury.
Mixed emotions
Spoelstra offered mixed emotions about the Denver Nuggets dismissal of coach Michael Malone and the promotion of assistant David Adelman as interim coach.
Spoelstra coached against Malone in the 2023 NBA Finals, with a clear respect between the two, with Adelman the son of former Portland Trail Blazers coach Rick Adelman, with Spoelstra’s father a long-time Blazers executive.
“I have such deep respect for Mike. I feel for him and his family,” Spoelstra said. “He’s done so much for the organization, given his heart and soul to it and building a culture that’s respected.
“He’s a championship-level coach. Everybody in our organization understands how good he is. The tough part of this business is you have to come to the realization that there are a lot of things that can be true. That’s why I’m also so appreciative of our organization, not only the stability, the consistency over the years, but the support, especially through some tough waters.”
As for David Adelman, Spoelstra said his longtime family friend deserves the opportunity.
“David Adelman, it’s a tough situation to go into,” Spoelstra said. “But I’ve known David for a long time. He’s ready for it. He’s the right guy to be able to lead that team in unusual circumstances.
“He’s a heck of a coach, a brilliant basketball mind. He was due to get an opportunity. We wish it wouldn’t happen like this. But David, he’ll be just fine. He’s prepared for this moment.”
Continue reading...
