The Miami Heat have a chance to get another win on Tuesday, as they will host the lowly Detroit Pistons. To make matters even more interesting, the Heat might finally get back guard Victor Oladipo from injury in that game.
However, star forward Jimmy Butler will sit out the game versus the Pistons as he continues to work his way back from the knee injury that has forced him to mess seven games in a row.
Oladipo hasn’t yet played this season, so a possible return is really big news for the 11-13 Heat.
Heat listing Jimmy Butler (return to competition reconditioning), Jamal Cain (G League) and Omer Yurtseven (ankle surgery) as out for tonight.
Questionable: Dedmon, Oladipo, Vincent.
Probable: Herro, Highsmith, Robinson and Strus. https://t.co/UPVlBWNQ6t
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) December 6, 2022
The Heat have gone 1-1 since Butler returned from injury, and he averaged 21.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in those two outings.
Of course, the Heat will be short-handed without Butler, and the team will have to rely on players like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to carry the load on the offensive side of the ball.
Getting Oladipo back would help things on both sides of the ball. At his best, he is one of the stronger two-way guards in the league. However, he has not been that player for quite a while. Injuries have played a major role in his career, so it is great to see that he is on the cusp of yet another return.
In his career, Oladipo has averaged 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from deep.
He only played in eight games during the 2021-22 regular season, but he was able to suit up in 15 playoff games, starting in one. In those playoff games, he put up 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
As for the the Pistons, they were hoping that this season would be one in which their young core would take a big leap forward. That leap has been put on pause due to the absence of star youngster Cade Cunningham. He’s dealing with a shin injury at the moment and still has no timetable for his return.
In 12 games this season, Cunningham has put up 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game and been as good as advertised since the team selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
In Tuesday’s game, the Heat have a chance to get closer to .500 on the season. They’ve won four of their last six contests.
