Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Butler still out; relief coming for two-way players
The Miami Heat were without Jimmy Butler for a second consecutive game Tuesday, with the forward remaining sidelined by an inflamed right knee.
Butler had missed Sunday night’s victory over the Atlanta Hawks at AmericanAirlines Arena due to the ailment, with the teams playing again Tuesday night on the Heat’s court.
The Heat went into Tuesday 4-9 in Butler’s absence, with 10 of those games missed due to NBA health and safety protocols. Butler also missed two games early in the season with a sprained right ankle.
“He’s making improvement,” coach Erik Spoelstra said before Tuesday night’s game. “But we think it’s best that we not play him tonight. We’ll just continue to evaluate him day to day.”
Spoelstra said it is too early to predict whether Butler will be available for Thursday night’s road game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Heat’s final game before a weeklong All-Star break.
“Right now, he’s just day to day, and we’re just monitoring his progress,” Spoelstra said. “He’s getting in some good work with [trainer] Armando [Rivas] and we’ll just continue to evaluate.”
The Heat also remained without guard Avery Bradley (calf strain) and center Meyers Leonard (season-ending shoulder surgery), with guard Gabe Vincent again able to play through knee soreness.
Among the balancing acts for the Heat through the team’s injuries and absences had been the 50-game limit that two-way players Vincent and Max Strus could be on the active roster. The NBA, amid shorthanded rosters due to the coronavirus pandemic, is on the verge of removing that limitation, freeing Vincent and Strus to remain on the active roster the balance of the pandemic-shortened 72-game schedule.
Should Vincent or Strus exceed the previous 50-game limit they then would be paid at standard NBA rates, although the increase would not count against the salary cap.
Part of the NBA’s accommodation is that two-way players will be allowed to be playoff eligible. The same allowance was made during the completion of last season in the quarantine bubble at Disney World.
Typically, two-way players are limited to 45 days on NBA rosters, with the balance of the season spent in the G League. The Heat this season is not fielding a G League team, due to the short turnaround between seasons.
Spoelstra said it is the right move by the league, considering all his team has dealt with while playing through pandemic-related absences.
“We all appreciate that they see that each team is in a different place,” Spoelstra said. “We felt that we’ve competed in this season with great honor and respect to the league. We went out in one game with seven guys, they miraculously clear somebody to make it eight, otherwise it would have been cancelled. All those games now are being canceled or being postponed.
“We never complained and never made an excuse, but we are getting those days stacked up for our two-ways. Our two-ways are playing for us. And there are a few other teams that are in that circumstance. It’s just an uneven, unpredictable year for so many teams.
“It just makes all the sense in the world to not even have to think about that or concern yourselves with days, particularly when we’re playing them. It’s what’s fair to the teams, it’s what makes the most sense and is fair to the players. We’re just glad it was seen that way.”