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The Miami Heat are hoping to put the month of November in the rearview mirror after going a so-so 8-7, including a rough four-game losing streak. Much of those problems stemmed from the unavailability of Miami’s key stars: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro all missed time in November with a variety of injuries.
But there’s hope on the horizon. As soon as Miami’s stars get back, the team should be pushing full steam ahead. According to a team of insiders at CBS Sports, Miami earned a C+ grade for November, with the promise that brighter days are ahead.
“The healthy starting lineup of Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin and Bam Adebayo is a plus-6.2 for the season. The offense-first version of that lineup with Max Strus substituted for Martin is plus-11.8. So there’s reason to believe that, once intact, Miami could be devastating. But with Lowry at 36 years old and Butler at 33, it’s fair to question whether we can reasonably expect legitimate health for significant stretches of the season.”
Ranking the Miami Heat’s Lineup at Full Strength
So far this season, Miami has mainly just been treading water. It’s a stark contrast to what fans and analysts have come to expect from the South Beach hoopers so far this century.
“Not many expected the Heat to repeat as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but not many expected them to be below .500 at the quarter-season mark either. A bottom-10 offense and a good-but-not-great defense have led to an up and down performance, plagued by recent injury issues that have shredded the roster to barely the minimum number of players.”
Slowly, though, Miami has started righting the ship. After that four-game losing streak in November, Miami finished the month going 3-1, though the offense and defensive numbers have still looked lackluster.
One bright spot: Bam Adebayo. After a slow start, Adebayo is getting into a “flow,” which he credited as the reason behind his solid play of late.
The change of pace on the handle into a tough reverse finish 💫
Bam going to work for the @MiamiHEAT on @NBATV and the NBA App
📲 t.co/WjxYAo1gl0
The Heat stand to get even better with Butler’s eventual return to the lineup. Thankfully, his return is coming very soon.
Jimmy Butler’s Return to Heat Imminent
For some time now, the Heat have been without Jimmy Butler. His absence hasn’t been limited to the lineup, though. With the Heat on a grueling road trip last month, Butler stayed back in Miami to recover and rehab.
That’s changing today, however. Miami intends for Butler to return to the team today, with the hope he’s in the lineup in the very near future.
Heat still anticipating Jimmy Butler rejoining the team today in Boston at some point, after missing 7 games with right knee soreness. Heat and Celtics play again tomorrow night, before Miami moves on to Memphis for a Monday game.
His return could not come at a more crucial time for the Heat. The Heat take on the East’s best Boston Celtics and an excellent Memphis Grizzlies team over the next five days. After that, Miami gets a bit of a reprieve, taking on the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, two struggling teams.