Heat backcourt positioned to move forward in Oladipo’s absence; weekend start times set
There was a time when Victor Oladipo’s season-ending quadriceps surgery could have been an ultimate gut punch to the Miami Heat’s playoff chances.
But with Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn hitting their strides on the eve of the NBA playoffs, the Heat find themselves better positioned to move forward without their prime trade-deadline acquisition.
“I mean, I would not say a good feeling, because you never want to see a player get hurt,” Dragic said Thursday of where the Heat backcourt stands with Oladipo out. “Unfortunately, Vic is out and we wish him all the best, to be back soon.
“But it’s our job to step up, and I think the last few weeks we’re playing much better and we still need to continue to grow and be ready for the playoffs.”
When Oladipo, whose surgery was scheduled for Thursday in New York, was acquired from the Houston Rockets on March 25 in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a 2022 swap of first-round draft position, the sense was he would be a Heat playoff starter.
Now it again could come down to the approach of coach Erik Spoelstra with Dragic, who played as a reserve during the 2020-21 regular season and then as a starter during the Heat’s postseason run to the NBA Finals.
“I don’t expect nothing. I’m just here. I’m enjoying it here, and whatever he needs,” Dragic said after Thursday morning’s shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena, in advance of Thursday night’s nationally televised game against the Philadelphia 76ers. “I’m here for the team. That’s it. Nothing else. I feel good now. I’ve started playing better.
“I’m in my comfort zone. So whatever he needs.”
As a reserve, Dragic has forged quality chemistry alongside Herro, with Nunn having settled into the starting lineup.
“The beginning of the season he was starting, so we did not play much together,” Dragic said of Herro. “Then, because of COVID protocols, I was out, and then some injuries, so we didn’t have a lot of chances to play together.
“And now, finally, the last few games, we’re clicking again. And it’s good. It’s good. We feed off each other. We still need to work on it and be ready for the playoffs.”
Dragic said he has taken pride in the bench coming together.
“That was our strength from last year,” he said. “Our bench was one of the best benches in the league, and this year was a lot of ups and downs and a lot of players out, in. So you couldn’t build that consistency.
“Finally, the players are back healthier and the last few games we’re playing like our old selves. That means a lot. Especially when the playoffs come, you need to have a strong bench and definitely this is our goal to have both the starting five and the bench five to be strong.”
Schedule set
The NBA on Thursday set 8 p.m. Eastern starting times for the Heat’s final two regular-season games — both on the road — on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks and on Sunday against the Detroit Pistons.
Because of the late start on Sunday, the Heat could know before that tipoff whether that game will impact playoff seeding, with the New York Knicks hosting the Boston Celtics that afternoon and then the Atlanta Hawks hosting the Houston Rockets an hour prior to the Heat’s opening tip.
Dragic said the players’ preference was for evening starts.
“It’s because you have the whole day to prepare for the game,” he said. “In the morning, most of the teams, they have shootarounds, you go through the film, some players take a nap. You just have the whole day to prepare yourself for that game. And if you ask me, I like it for that, too.”
