Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Players are ‘falling down like dominoes’
Babbitt out and Williams ailing; could be only 9 players available tonight
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Heat’s incredibly shrinking roster could again be down to nine ambulatory players for the game tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers at the conclusion of this three-game trip — and that’s if you’re willing to overlook the grapefruit-sized swollen ankle that point guard Goran Dragic has been playing through.
Already with four players back in South Florida, the Heat then lost forward Luke Babbitt, a replacement starter in the injury-ravaged mix, less than eight minutes into their 111-110 victory Thursday over the Utah Jazz, with what coach Erik Spoelstra said likely was a hip-flexor strain.
The Heat had announced minutes earlier that forward Derrick Williams would be unavailable due to back spasms that ultimately were confirmed as the reason he had been held out of the team’s victory Wednesday over the Denver Nuggets.
Those revelations came with Josh Richardson (ankle), Justise Winslow (wrist) and Dion Waiters (groin) already back in South Florida, with Chris Bosh there as well since failing his preseason physical.
“It’s tough,” Dragic said. “We’re falling down like dominoes.”
“Every game,” Williams said, “it seems like one more person is going down.”
While Williams hopes to be in uniform Saturday, the Heat again could find themselves with only four available reserves against the Blazers, as was the case for the final 40 minutes in Utah.
Spoelstra said Babbitt’s injury is similar to the one that will have Waiters out for at least two weeks.
“Probably a little bit similar to Dion,” he acknowledged, before giving the team Friday off. “We’ll find out more. But it’s a hipflexor strain. It’s not a contusion. So we’ll evaluate him.”
Unlike Richardson, who was flown home by the team from Salt Lake City, Babbitt flew on to Portland, expected to remain with the team until their Sunday flight back to South Florida.
“He has family and his pregnant wife is in Portland,” Spoelstra said. “So we’ll give him a chance to go home.”
Williams said that in addition to the back spasms, he also is dealing with shoulder and neck pain.
“Kind of right before the [Denver] game, actually, just warming up, kind of just made the wrong movement and it just stiffened up on me,” he said. “But if feels better we got the win, man. I’m just glad we got the win.”
Spoelstra said Williams was unable to even go through the team’s hotel session in the hours prior to the Jazz game.
“It started [Wednesday] and it got a lot worse,” he said. “He wasn’t able to go through the walkthrough.”
Williams could wind up going from inactive to a starter, with Babbitt and Josh McRoberts having started at forward the past two games. Guard Wayne Ellington, in just his third game back after missing the season’s first 16 due to a thigh bruise, started Thursday’s second half in place of Babbitt.
NBA teams are required to dress a minimum of at least eight players, with the Heat expected to have 10 Saturday if Williams is able to get back into uniform.
While Winslow is expected to return as soon as Tuesday night’s resumption of the schedule after this three-game trip, the Heat could be in position to request an exception to exceed the 15-player roster limit, depending on the potential length of Babbitt’s absence, as well as those of Richardson and Waiters.
Every available player but veteran power forward Udonis Haslem saw action Thursday against the Jazz.
“Literally [Thursday], guys were playing as hard as they could, raising their hand, and we had to shuffle and get guys in and out,” Spoelstra said of what again could be the case Saturday. “And that’s the most we’ve ever had to do it because of fatigue, regardless of lineup.”