Miami Heat Injury Report: Latest news on Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson's availability
The Miami Heat could be in line for a boost to their rotation on Oct. 27 against the Boston Celtics. Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson are listed as "probable" on the team's injury report.
Miami face the Celtics in a replay of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat won their season opener against the Detroit Pistons 103-102.
The Heat will be without Hayward Highsmith and Josh Richardson, who are both listed as "out". Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is also on the injury report but listed as "probable."
Miami will need to be at their best. This isn't the same Celtics team they beat in the postseason. The arrival of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis have elevated the Celtics into a potential championship team. Miami, meanwhile, lost two key contributors, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, this summer.
Having Martin and Robinson healthy will be imperative to the Heat's chances of securing their second win of the season.
Both players bring something different to Erik Spoelstra's rotation. Robinson's perimeter scoring ability should also provide additional space for Bam Adebayo's elbow creation and Jimmy Butler's patented bully drives to the rim.
Boston will be a tough test for the Heat, especially at this early juncture of the season. However, Miami will be coming into the game with some momentum from their NBA Finals run. They already have a win this season.
Udonis Haslem believes Jimmy Butler is one of the Miami Heat's smartest-ever players
Udonis Haslem retired from the NBA following the Miami Heat's NBA Finals loss.
He had spent his entire 20-year career on South Beach. Haslem has played with, and against, some of the greatest players in NBA history throughout his career.
However, he reckons Jimmy Butler is among the smartest players he's ever faced.
“The shots that Jimmy Butler makes are not normal, and if someone keeps making them, then you start believing it’s not luck anymore. … So, I’ve seen Jimmy make shots on me that people don’t make, and he keeps making them. The degree of difficulty on the shots that he is making, how he is creating space to get to these shots, that is something different.”
Haslem said, before explaining why he believes Butler's basketball IQ separates him from other great players in his generation and from the generation before him.
“I’ve played 1-on-1 with Dwyane. I’ve played 1-on-1 with LeBron. I’ve played 1-on-1 with Joe Johnson and some of the greatest iso 1-on-1 players in the league. Now, I’ve played 1-on-1 with Jimmy, so I’ve seen the difference.
"Now, that’s not to say that Jimmy is better than those guys, but Jimmy damn sure might be one of the smartest ones out of those guys. Jimmy is smart as hell.”
The Miami Heat will need Butler's basketball IQ if they're to be successful this season.
After failing to land their top target, Damian Lillard, this summer, their roster is thinner than it was last year. Nevertheless, the duo of Butler and Adebayo is a difficult one to defend. Boston will have their work cut out on Oct. 27 against the Miami Heat duo.