As the Miami Heat works to incorporate the three players it added in last week\u2019s Jimmy Butler trade, the Heat is also looking to move past a stomach illness that is spreading through the locker room. First, Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. missed Sunday\u2019s practice because of a stomach issue.<\/p>\n
Then, Heat guard Tyler Herro woke up Monday feeling ill. Both Herro and Jaquez ended up missing Monday\u2019s home loss to the Boston Celtics because of that stomach illness. On Wednesday, forward Duncan Robinson and guard Terry Rozier felt sick to their stomachs and missed the Heat\u2019s morning shootaround in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s that time of year right now,\u201d Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said ahead of Wednesday night\u2019s matchup against the Thunder at Paycom Center. \u201cWe\u2019re doing all the due diligence that we possibly can. But we can\u2019t control everything.<\/p>\n
What we can control is our mentality and connection going into this game.\u201d Herro and Jaquez felt bad enough that they didn\u2019t travel with the team to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. But the good news for the Heat is Herro and Jaquez improved in time to take a flight Wednesday, rejoining the team in Oklahoma City ahead of its game against the Thunder. \u201cTyler and Jaime will be here,\u201d Spoelstra said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to get a workout in, get a sweat. Their intention is to hopefully play. But their bodies will let them know.\u201d Herro, Jaquez, Robinson and Rozier are all listed as questionable for Wednesday\u2019s game against the Thunder. The Heat closes this back-to-back set on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center before entering the All-Star break. When asked if living through the COVID-19 pandemic has helped teams better prepare for illnesses spreading through the roster, Spoelstra didn\u2019t shoot down that theory. \u201cPotentially,\u201d Spoelstra answered. \u201cI mean, outside of the mask wearing. But in terms of sanitization, that level of awareness is significantly higher than it used to be pre-COVID.<\/p>\n
But you can\u2019t control something you can\u2019t see. It is what it is. Every team has been going through it at some point. But hopefully we get our guys back.\u201d<\/p>\n
THE NEW GUYS<\/p>\n
As Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins continue to adjust to the Heat way, the Heat\u2019s coaching staff is doing what it can to get them as comfortable on the court as possible as quickly as possible. \u201cWe have to prioritize,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cWe want to get Wiggins feeling as comfortable as possible. He\u2019s a big part of what we want to try to do. So yeah, we have some packages for him specifically. How can we get the ball to him in his strength zones. In terms of D-Mitch, it\u2019s just being an extension of me to help get the team organized. He\u2019s been great about that the last few days. Kyle has been around a lot of systems. He knows how to fit in, plug in, fit in, add value. I\u2019m not worried about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
OKC PRAISE<\/p>\n
Not only does the Heat\u2019s opponent on Wednesday enter with the NBA\u2019s top record this season, but the Thunder also features the league\u2019s best defensive rating and sixth-best offensive rating. \u201cOKC has played at a great level all year long,\u201d Spoelstra said \u201cThat\u2019s probably what has been most impressive is how consistent they\u2019ve been on both sides of the floor with injuries, guys out, so forth.<\/p>\n
They have an identity and they get to it often.\u201d Spoelstra then went on to praise the Thunder\u2019s deep roster that\u2019s led by MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. \u201cThey have depth all over the place,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cIt starts with SGA, no question. When you face dynamic teams and players like that, you really have to fall back on your habits. That\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to build right now is habits, consistency, doing what we\u2019re capable of doing over and over and over even against great players.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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