Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Good time for a break
Spoelstra expects week off will refresh team
MIAMI — As the 24-point lead was being squandered Wednesday night in Philadelphia, as the Miami Heat were teetering toward what would become their seventh loss in their last eight games, it was as if Erik Spoelstra’s team was auditioning for a Southwest Airlines commercial. “Wanna get away?” In the worst way. “It’s disappointing,” Spoelstra said, his team now off for a week-long All-Star break that ends next Friday with a road game against the New Orleans Pelicans. “We all feel that way right now.
“Two or three days from now, we’ll probably be able to find a little bit of perspective. And then five or six days from now, we’ll be itching to get back together with this group and then get back to work and start to hone in to make a big push the last [24] games.”
At 30-28, the Heat remain in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, in the eighth and final seed, 1 1⁄2 games ahead of the Detroit Pistons.
“If you lose seven out of eight, I think that’s a good time just try to put your mind in something different, try to relax and then when you come back, you’re eager to work and try to get better,” said Goran Dragic.
A year ago, the Heat were on the outside looking in when it came to the playoff picture, ultimately falling short of a postseason by a tiebreaker at 41-41.
“We were in this position last season,” said Dragic, the Heat’s lone representative in Sunday’s All-Star Game. “We don’t put our heads down, and we don’t feel sorry for
“Two or three days from now, we’ll probably be able to find a little bit of perspective.” Erik Spoelstra, Heat coach
ourselves. We go in the gym and work hard and try to correct those mistakes and try to get better.
“This year, it’s going to be the same approach after this All-Star break. Most of the teams, they would want to be in this position that we are.”
Spoelstra said he, indeed, wants his players to get away. To a degree. “Yeah, regardless of whether we would have won [Wednesday night’s game] or not, the last two weeks our guys have been very emotionally engaged. Each one of these games has been like a playoff game,” said Spoelstra. “We dropped 7 of 8. That has an effect on your emotions. You try and stay steady through it and we’ll be better in these situations.
“But probably the timing is good for all of us, just get away, unplug. I want guys to relax. Obviously, we’re the Miami Heat and I want them conditioning. They don’t have to see a basketball court; hopefully they’ll find time for a treadmill the next few days and find some beach time as well.”
The expectation is to have Rodney McGruder, last season’s starting small forward, back after the All-Star break from his preseason leg surgery. McGruder went through his first full practice earlier this week and traveled with the Heat for their losses to the Toronto Raptors and 76ers. The Heat also are awaiting the return of Kelly Olynyk from the strained left shoulder that has had him out the past four games. Plus the re-indoctrination of Dwyane Wade is ongoing, with the franchise icon three games into this reunion tour.
“It’s going to be good,” Wade said of the break. “Every team in the league at this point needs to reset with a long season. Losing seven of eight is definitely a good time to reset and come back with a fresh mind and a shorter schedule to know we’ve got to get to it.
“And we’re playing for something. We’re playing for the playoffs. We can’t coast at all. Its’ going to be high-intensity basketball first game back.”
Spoelstra said he sees better days ahead for his players, who will return to practice on Wednesday at American-Airlines Arena.
“I like our team,” he said. “I think we’re a very good team. We have great potential. I think we have great upside. We’re closer than it looks right now, but that’s our margin of error, also.
“We’re built different than some of the top teams in both conferences. We have to play to an identity consistently. We need multiple contributors in the same game. That’s just how we’re built. We’re capable of getting over this hump and I believe we will.”