Trip made without Oladipo, Dedmon
Guard Victor Oladipo did not travel Tuesday with the Miami Heat for the two-game trip that opens Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs and continues Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.
Sidelined by knee pain since April 8, Oladipo, who has appeared in four games since being acquired from the Houston Rockets at the March 25 NBA trading deadline, has yet to accompany the Heat on the road.
Also missing Wednesday’s flight was recently added center Dewayne Dedmon, who is listed as questionable due to NBA health-and-safety protocols. There remains a chance Dedmon could join the team in time for Wednesday’s game.
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro all are listed as questionable for Wednesday, after all sat out Monday night’s victory over the Houston Rockets at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Butler has missed the past two games with a sprained right ankle. The Heat 6-11 in his absence this season.
Adebayo missed Monday’s game with a sore right knee, with the Heat 5-2 in his absence.
Herro missed Monday’s game due to a sore right foot, with the Heat 7-5 in his absence.
The only other player on the Heat’s Tuesday injury report was guard Gabe Vincent, who again is listed as probable, with a sore right knee.
Youth movement
For Andre Iguodala, going 26:38 on Sunday against the Nets and then 28:23 on Monday against the Rockets meant, at age 37, reaching back to a previous time.
“Quite honestly, I’ve been tired for a couple of days now,” he said in the wake of the consecutive starts. “I think you shoot before the game and you take yourself to a place mentally that it’s a little bit more at ease, it takes some pressure off yourself. Just being a little older, I tell myself, ‘Just think the game, play smart. Think of it like playing in high school on a Saturday morning when you’re meeting your friends and you’re just having fun.’
“So I’m always enjoying the success of guys around me. So I’m trying to help them up their level of play, see any way I can help them be better.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra said he hopes second-year forward KZ Okpala can take such lessons to heart from Iguodala and Trevor Ariza.
“KZ has two models that he can look to and try to emulate, even though his game’s a little bit different,” Spoelstra said. “I’m encouraged by the work and the improvement he’s made.”
Respect paid
Iguodala said what Kendrick Nunn has achieved as an emergency fill-in the past few games, including Monday’s seasonhigh 30 points against the Rockets, should not be taken for granted.
Iguodala took stock of all Nunn, 25, has been through, including a COVID-19 setback ahead of the completion of last season in the Disney World quarantine bubble.
“I like that he’ s ready, whenever his number is called,” Iguodala said. “His career, coming from college, coming here, having rookie success and then getting into the bubble and having some hiccups with trying to get to the bubble and being the odd man out.
“This year, our depth, it’s not in everyone’s favor at times. And the way he’s responded every time his number is called, it’s a great thing for a guy that young, never gets discouraged and always ready to play.”
Iguodala said it’s hard not to root for Nunn.
“He’s from Illinois, like I am, so always rooting for him,” Iguodala said. “He’s a quiet kid, so he’s professional and he’s professional beyond his years in terms of his approach when things might not be going his way.
“He’ll have a lot of success and he’ll be in this league a long time.”
Stepping forward
Dedmon’s first two games with the Heat, Spoelstra said, have produced the type of aggressive impact expected once the 31-year-old center was able to round into shape.
“I think that was the biggest thing, getting him in basketball shape and then getting him acclimated into our system,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a savvy veteran. He’s a big-muscle defender, extra-effort guy. He can fit into a lot of different systems, like he has.
“And he’s been a starter for several years, so we were thrilled to be able to get him at this time of year. That goes without saying.”