Injury woes have depleted the Miami Heat roster for Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with six players officially out and three more questionable.
Heat injury report for tonight in Minnesota:
Out: Jimmy Butler (knee), Udonis Haslem (personal), Tyler Herro (ankle), Victor Oladipo (knee), Duncan Robinson (ankle), Omer Yurtseven (ankle).
Questionable: Bam Adebayo (knee), Dewayne Dedmon (foot), Gabe Vincent (knee).— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 21, 2022
Even if the trio of Bam Adebayo, Dewayne Dedmon and Gabe Vincent is able to take the court against the Timberwolves, the Heat will still be missing major components of their lineup.
Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro are the team’s two top scorers, with Butler averaging a team-high 20.9 points per game and Herro right behind him, contributing 19.6 points per contest. If Adebayo ends up missing the game, that removes his third-best team scoring average of 19.2 points per game.
Vincent’s potential absence would remove a key reserve who’s currently averaging 10.2 points per contest.
Victor Oladipo has continued his struggle to come back, with injury issues dimming what had once been a rising career. Since being acquired by the Heat in March 2021, Oladipo has played in just 12 regular season games.
Omer Yurtseven was hoping to build on his modest numbers with the Heat last year. In his first NBA season, the 24-year-old Yurtseven averaged 5.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, but ankle troubles resulted in surgery that will keep him off the court for an extended period.
Dewayne Dedmon is averaging 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Duncan Robinson, who is reportedly being showcased by the Heat as a potential trade option, has delivered an average of 6.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
The Heat are completing the latter part of back-to-back games. On Sunday night, the Heat were blown out by the Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-87.
Sunday night’s loss kept the Heat winless on their road trip, with this injury news putting the team in a major bind to improve on its current 7-10 record.
Prior to leaving on that road trip, the Heat had seemingly gotten back following a 2-5 start to win five of their next seven games. Included in that batch of victories was a Nov. 1 win at home against the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
Regardless of the outcome of their game with the Timberwolves, the Heat will return home for two consecutive home games against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday and Friday. After that, they return to the road for four more contests.
