Herro, Leonard both progressing through their ankle issues

CLEVELAND — The Miami Heat have given the boot to the boot.

It is a step forward for sidelined contributors Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard as they work through ankle issues.

“It means that the process is starting,” coach Erik Spoelstra said ahead of Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “However long that takes depends on the body and treatment and how you respond to it.”

Herro spent time on the court before Saturday’s rout of the Cavaliers at AmericanAirlines Arena, with Spoelstra confirming Monday that Leonard is now out of his walking boot, calling it “a good sign.”

Monday marked the eighth consecutive missed game for Herro, due to what the team is terming right-ankle soreness.

“That’s a good sign, that he’s starting to get on the wood,” Spoelstra said. “I do not have a new timetable for him.”

Leonard also missed his eighth consecutive game Monday, with what is listed as a sprained left ankle. His injury is considerably more severe than Herro’s.

Spoelstra declined to speculate when asked if it is possible that the injury has the veteran center out the balance of the regular season.

“It’s a sprained ankle, so it’ll take as much time as it needs,” he said.

In the interim, Spoelstra has shown a willingness to alter his starting lineups almost on a game-by-game basis.

“It has to start with us and our focus first,” he said. “But there are some unique lineups out there that we have the versatility to do what we need.”

In addition, Jimmy Butler missed his second consecutive game Monday night due to undisclosed personal reasons.

“For these next 27 games, it’s all hands on deck,” Spoelstra said, “whatever we need to do to get the job done.”

Jones’ adjustments

While the Heat’s conditioning standards for Derrick Jones Jr. have been those of a wing player, the Heat injury situation and roster shuffle has had him just as likely to be cast in a power role.

“The positions are relatively the same,” Spoelstra said of playing Jones at both small forward and power forward. “He’s been effective in both spots.”

Along the way, there has been considerable fluctuation in Jones’ play, with his 13-point performance Saturday against the Cavaliers one point less than he had scored in the previous three games combined.

“He knows what his role is and what he needs to do to be effective,” Spoelstra said. “It’s about consistency and doing what you do well night in and night out, particularly as a young player. You have to keep that mind.”

Haslem time

Spoelstra said it was not a case of overriding Udonis Haslem when he inserted the veteran power forward during Saturday night’s fourth quarter, as Haslem appeared to give a no-go signal.

“He was willing to go in,” Spoelstra said. “We were having a discussion of whether it should be then or at some point in the fourth quarter. And I just told him, ‘Let’s not wait. Let’s get you in there right now.’ ”

Haslem was inserted for the first time since November amid “We want UD!” chants.

“Not just because of the crowd,” Spoelstra said, “but of how the mechanics of how the fourth quarter would work. I felt more comfortable with him with that group at that point of the game.”

Outside view

Having taken in Saturday’s game as a spectator, Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said he came away impressed with the Heat.

“They are the best cutting team in the league,” he said Monday. “That’s why they get so many open looks.”

Back from his Achilles soreness, Love said the balance of the season would be spent trying to develop a rhythm with Andre Drummond, who was acquired from the Detroit Pistons at the trading deadline.

“We’re trying to figure out the bigs rotation,” he said. “I have to find a way to get myself going and play off him.

“I have to find myself offense with him.”

Love said he might consult with Blake Griffin, a similar-style scoring power forward who was able to make it work at times with Drummond in Detroit.

“That’s something that I could definitely look at,” he said. in the