Any mystery about which two players aren’t currently with the Miami Heat in Orlando, Fla. was eliminated when Goran Dragic indicated that neither Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn are with the squad.
Goran Dragic just said Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn are not with the team. "Hopefully Bam can come and KNunn and we can be a whole team and make some damage.” Two Heat players remained behind due to COVID testing. Heat did not identify the players left back.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) July 10, 2020
A number of NBA players have tested positive for the coronavirus, and the absences of Adebayo and Nunn likely point to them being the ones that had to stay behind due to testing positive.
The absences of the two players aren’t considered right now to be an issue for the Heat. That’s because their first official game when NBA action resumes isn’t until Aug. 1, when they take on the Denver Nuggets.
However, both Adebayo and Nunn have been important parts of helping the Heat compile a 41-24 record prior to the March 11 shutdown of play by the NBA. That mark was fourth-best among Eastern Conference teams and had them destined for a playoff berth.
Adebayo, who turns 23 on July 18, emerged as one of the NBA’s better young players during the 2019-20 campaign and was averaging 16.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
The 24-year-old Nunn was signed by the Heat as a free agent last year and has helped bolster the team’s backcourt by averaging 15.6 points, 3.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds this season.
The potential contributions of those two players offer hope that the Heat can challenge for a berth in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
