Getty Head Coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat reacts against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter in Game Four of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 23, 2022.
Injuries are one of the most unfortunate parts of sports and unfortunately, they are also unavoidable. But when injuries threaten a player’s quality of life beyond the court or field, that is when things can get scary to watch.
That was the reality during the September 29 broadcast of Thursday Night Football between the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was slammed to the ground and laid there idly after the hit with his fingers locked in an upward position, indicating that he suffered a concussion.
It caused a firestorm of opinions on social media on whether the Dolphins star should have been on the field, despite clearing concussion protocols after taking a big hit the previous week. Fellow south beach sports figure, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra gave his opinion on the situation involving Tua and the Dolphins.
“That’s the world we live in right now. Everybody is looking to blame immediately when something happens. We don’t have all the information. I don’t think that’s fair to jump to all these different conclusions,” Spoelstra said to the Miami Herald via Heat Nation.
“Teams and medical staffs are very responsible. Not every situation is the exact same thing. So, there are protocols in both of our leagues that you must adhere to. It’s really about being able to compete at the highest level, but also be safe about it.”
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Spoelstra Named Best Coach in Annual GM Poll
After a 2020-21 campaign where they finished 6th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 40-32 and were swept handily in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, many were unsure what to make of last year’s Miami Heat squad. There were few expectations on how far they could go, especially with them being in the same conference as the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers.
But Spoelstra’s squad was able to flip the script and make a 13-win improvement last season. The Heat finished with a record of 53-29, which was good enough for first place in the Eastern Conference. In the postseason, they turned it up even more, defeating the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers en route to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Despite falling short in the conference finals, the Heat were in it until the very end, and if not for a missed Jimmy Butler three-pointer in the final seconds of the game, the Heat would have been scheduled for an NBA Finals clash with the Golden State Warriors. After a successful season in South Beach, Spoelstra was named the best head coach in the league by general managers in the NBA’s annual GM poll.
The full results are below:
1. Erik Spoelstra, Miami – 52%
2. Steve Kerr, Golden State – 22%
T-3. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio – 7%
T-3. Monty Williams, Phoenix – 7%
5. Tyronn Lue, LA Clippers – 5%
Oladipo Sounds off on Goals for This Season
A key component in how far the Heat will go this year will be the progression of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo. In his two seasons in South Beach, Oladipo has only played 12 regular season games as he has tried to battle back from two quadriceps injuries that have sidelined him.
Now back and healthy for this season, the Heat guard says he doesn’t have any goals this year. His focus for 2023 is to live in the moment.
“The few weeks prior to this, I was thinking about, like, ‘What are my goals, my expectations for the year?’ And I think this year I don’t have any. I know that sounds crazy. But for me, I think it’s about just living in the moment,” Oladipo told the Miami Sun Sentinel.
“I think the last four years, I’ve had expectations, I’ve had goals, I’ve had aspirations to do a certain thing. It’s out of my control. So, I think right now I’m just focused on staying in the moment and living in the moment. I really don’t have any goals or expectations for myself. For this team, it’s to win a championship. But for me, it’s to contribute. Right now, I’m just focused on doing that.”
After a bitter loss in last year’s playoffs, the Heat enter this season, looking to redeem themselves by winning a championship.