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coach Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday following practice. “He had discomfort. We expect that. Just like a guy wearing an ankle brace or taped ankle. The first few times you do it, it’s uncomfortable, it’s new. But we want to protect him.
“He’s going to wear it. That’s non-negotiable.”
Whiteside was told to wear the brace after missing 13 consecutive games with a second bone bruise on the same knee. The Orlando game was »
Heat boost defense with Jones,
his third with the brace.
But Whiteside does not believe wearing the brace is helping prevent a bone bruise.
“Nah, man,” he said. “Bone bruises happen when you get hit in the knee real hard. Wearing pads will (protect the knee from a bone bruise).
Heat
So I’ve been wearing my pads under my tights more. I wasn’t doing that in the past.”
Whiteside isn’t the first Heat player not happy to be told to wear a knee brace; Chris Bosh also was forced to wear one.
Whiteside, who missed five games this season because of the initial bone bruise, has played three games since, averaging 11 points, 9.7 rebounds and 0.3 blocks in 22.2 minutes.
He said the brace is “extremely uncomfortable” and believes it slows him down, saying the Magic were playing fast — Orlando had 24 fast-break points at half- time — and he just “listened to my body.”
The 7-foot center had six points and seven rebounds when he removed the brace and finished with nine points, 13 rebounds and a career-high four assists in 29 minutes, his most since returning.
“I felt fine,” Whiteside said. “I felt like I was getting back into the rhythm of things. I’m glad coach left me out there for 29 minutes. I love to be out there more with my team.”
Whiteside was told by doctors he would have to wear the brace one to two months.
Whiteside could receive help on the front line for tonight’s home game against the Pistons. Forward James Johnson, who has missed six of the past seven games with right ankle bursitis, has been upgraded to questionable. Johnson attempted to return against New Orleans after three games but played just eight minutes before reinjuring the ankle. He has missed the past three.
Johnson went through the majority of Tuesday’s practice.
Justise Winslow (strained left knee), Dion Waiters (sprained left ankle), Rodney McGruder (left tibia surgery) and Okaro White (left foot surgery) are out. MIAMI — Derrick Jones Jr. is known for his athleticism.
The forward, 20, flashed that athleticism last season when he finished as the runner-up in the NBA All-Star Game’s Slam Dunk Contest. But after signing with the Heat on a two-way contract Sunday, Jones knows how he can impress his new team. Defense.
“I know I’m a defender first, go out there and play defense and the offense is going to come,” Jones said after his first practice with the Heat on Tuesday. “... That’s something that I harp on. I want to be one of the top five defensive players in the league one day.”
His athleticism is hard to overlook.
“It’s hard not to notice his explosiveness, his talent, all of those things at an extremely high level,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It’s an opportunity to spend some time with a young player that has a lot of physical talent. We’re excited about it. He was available.
“We still want to develop Matt (Williams Jr.) in Sioux Falls. But ( Jones’) skills are a little bit more advanced at this point. We felt he was a little bit better fit for the two-way contract.”
Entering Tuesday, Jones had 26 NBA days remain- ing on his pro-rated two-way contract from the annual 45-day limit. The Heat waived Williams Jr. from his two-way deal to make room for Jones.
Derrick Walton Jr., who is also on a two-way contract, remains with the Heat.
“Just come in here and grow as a player and person,” Jones said of what he wants to accomplish. “Just there and play my game,” being able to jell with the Jones said when asked about team and just contribute possible playing time. “Whatwherever I can contribute.” ever comes, it comes. Don’t
Jones played with the Suns’ go out there forcing anything. G League affiliate after being Just let the game come to me waived by Phoenix on Dec. and let it flow.”
7. In 16 games with PhoeHeat happy with Adenix’s developmental affili- bayo: The Heat have been ate this season, he averaged very pleased with the devel15.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, opment of center Bam Ade1.9 blocks, 1.8 assists and 1.2 bayo. The first-round pick steals while shooting 48.5 out of Kentucky has been percent from the field. everything Miami and vice
But the 6-foot-7 Jones also president of player personhas some NBA experience. nel Chet Kammerer expected After going undrafted out defensively and is showing of UNLV in 2016, he played signs of an improved offen- in 32 games last season and sive game. six games this season with But not everybody is as the Suns. enamored with the 20-year
Jones scored double-digit old. points for the Suns in six In Sports Illustrated’s games last season, with his redraft of the 2017 lottery career-high coming when he the 6-foot-10 Adebayo was scored 15 on 5-of-11 shoot- nowhere to be found, drop- ing against the Mavericks ping from No. 14 to out of on April 9, 2017. the lottery.
With forwards Justise Instead, the magazine had Winslow (strained left knee), the Heat selecting 6-9 center James Johnson (right ankle Jordan Bell, who was taken bursitis) and Okaro White in the second round, 38th (left foot surgery) injured, overall, by the Bulls before there’s a chance Jones could being traded to the Warriors see immediate playing time for $3.5 million. with the Heat during their Bell, from Oregon, is aver- three-game homestand that aging 14.7 minutes per game, begins tonight against the playing in 31 and starting Pistons. nine. He is averaging 5.5
“Just go out there with an points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 open mindset, and just go out assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 67.8 percent.
Adebayo is averaging 20 minutes per games, playing in 27 and starting 10. He is averaging 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 0.6 blocks while shooting 59.8 percent.
Adebayo has shown versatility on defense, guarding players in the post and successfully stepping out to cover smaller, quicker players, as he has against the likes of the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler and Cleveland’s LeBron James.
The Heat, though, are very happy with their pick.
“He’s a much different player now on both ends of the court that he was six weeks ago,” Spoelstra recently said of Adebayo. “One of the things we really liked about him was his competitive disposition. The fact that he really takes pride defensively. And for a young player, that’s unique. But he did a lot of those things last year at Kentucky, guarding one through five, switching, showing his speed and quickness laterally.
“And then you add to that the fact he is open to coaching, he is hungry to learn and get better and that’s what you’re seeing.”
The magazine has three other players moving from out of the lottery and into the top 14 picks; OG Anunoby, from No. 23 to No. 8; Kyle Kuzma from No. 27 to No. 10; and former Cardinal Newman star John Collins from No. 19 to No. 12.
Joining Adebayo among the players SI dropped from the lottery are Frank Ntilikina, who went No. 8 to the Knicks; Zach Collins, who was taken 10th by the Kings, and Luke Kennard, selected 12th by the Pistons.