Wade’s voice, presence missed by teammates

MIAMI — The Miami Heat have been here before over these past 16 seasons — for about 18 months, to be exact — dealing with life without Dwyane Wade.

Now, with Wade having missed a week following the birth of his daughter and expected to miss another week, teammates said Monday that among the elements they miss most is Wade’s voice.

“It hurts a little bit,” forward Justise Winslow said before Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers at American Airlines Arena. “He’s one of our leaders. He’s one of the guys that’s most vocal in the huddle and in the locker room.

“So we’ve all been trying to pick up the slack. It’s not going to be one guy. So it’s going to have to be a collective effort. Just using our voices is the biggest thing. That’s something that we miss a lot, is his voice and kind of his aura, just as a person, as a player.”

Guard Josh Richardson agreed that the leadership aspect has been particularly missed.

“The other guys got to step up from a vocal point,” he said. “And I think some of us made a concerted effort last game. But we’ve just got to be better, more consistent.”

Guard Goran Dragic said he appreciates Wade’s priorities, as his teammate remains in Los Angeles with his newborn and wife, actress Gabrielle Union.

“You’re always missing D-Wade,” Dragic said. “He’s a big part of this team. He brings that experience. Just to have him on the bench means a lot.

“Of course, we understand what he’s going through. He had a baby, so we’re really happy for him and Gabrielle. We can’t wait to get him back. But, of course, some things in life are more important than basketball.”

Waiting game: The 76ers were without guard Jimmy Butler, with an introduction scheduled for Tuesday in the Philadelphia area after his trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves was finalized Monday.

The Heat had been among the teams to have bid for Butler.

“Whenever you can get a superstar like that, you try. And that’s what Jimmy is,” Winslow said. “He plays both sides of floor, offensively and defensively. So, he’s a game changer.

“I think he’s going to be a good fit up there.”

Turnover talk: Coach Erik Spoelstra said the goal continues to be a balance between aggression and errors when it comes to the Heat’s turnovers.

“We have to be who we are. We have to be aggressive, but we also have to be accountable to this right now,” he said. “As much as anything, our turnovers have probably cost us two or three games. If that’s not enough to get us to adjust, I don’t know what is.

“But we’re continuing to emphasize it, but now probably 10 times what we have before. I don’t think it’ll take away our aggressiveness, but hopefully it’ll clean up some of the sloppy ones.”

Feeling better: Dragic has been removed from the Heat’s injury report following his Saturday return from a two-game absence with a swollen right knee.

“The important thing was to test the knee and it reacted fine,” he said . . .

Richardson said Monday he still is adjusting to life as a high-volume 3-point shooter.

“If I see a little bit of space out there, I’m probably going to shoot it,” he said. “It’s still a process, having to tell myself to do it every time.” . . .

Heat center Hassan Whiteside was among the finalists for the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week selection that went to Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.