Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Adebayo weary of tired bodies
Forward says defense will be helped by players’ willingness to seek out breaks
MIAMI — What the Miami Heat need is better defense.
What they don’t need, center Bam Adebayo said Thursday, is any heroes.
With the Heat ranked in the middle of the NBA defensively, Adebayo said part of the issue might be too much pride.
“When we get fatigued, come out of the game,” he said. “I feel like that’s a pride thing with all players. You know, you want to play until your coach makes the sub.”
But Adebayo said that decision can’t only be on Erik Spoelstra.
“I feel like we’ve got to do a better job of when you’re tired, just raise your hand,” Adebayo said. “Sometimes Coach Spo ignores you. But for the most part he’ll get you out and get somebody fresh in so you can keep that same energy up.”
Spoelstra spent Thursday focusing on video, stressing that the utilization of zone defense was not a factor in the ongoing manto-man slippage.
“We’re working to get to a better level defensively, all across the board,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not just our man; it’s our transition defense and our zone.
“We’re capable of it. We’ve had great moments in either scheme. Our lack of consistency has been the biggest challenge, the hurdle we’ve been trying to overcome.
“We’ll get there. We just have to continue to work at it, drill it, watch it, teach it [and] learn from our mistakes.”
The Heat are idle until Saturday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center.
The Winslow wait
Thursday closed out the two-week period that the Heat said would be utilized for evaluation with the lower-back bone bruise of forward Justise Winslow, who has appeared in just one game since Dec. 4 — none since Jan. 8.
“I don’t have a new update for you‚” Spoelstra said. “We’ll continue to r-evaluate him. He’s going through the process of getting right.”
Spoelstra said so far that has not included court work.
“Right now, he’s still just doing his work in the training room and the weight room and conditioning a little bit,” Spoelstra said.
Spoelstra also declined to offer an update on rookie guard Kendrick Nunn, who has missed the last three games with Achilles soreness.
Spoelstra said the return of two-way player Gabe Vincent
to the G League was not based on Nunn’s health, but rather on Goran Dragic being back for two games after calf soreness had sent him to the sidelines.
Youth movement
The rosters of the Feb. 14 Rising Stars game for firstand second-year players during All-Star Weekend in Chicago will be announced Friday. The Heat’s Nunn, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson are all potential participants.