The Miami Heat are listing a whopping seven players on their injury report ahead of a big matchup against the Boston Celtics on Monday.
The most notable absences will be guard Tyler Herro and forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. as they are both dealing with a stomach illness that seems to be going around the locker room.
Guard Dru Smith will be unavailable due to left Achilles surgery, while guard Josh Christopher, forward Keshad Johnson and guard Isaiah Stevens have G League designations.
On the bright side, forward Nikola Jovic (right ankle sprain) will be available for Miami tonight.
The Heat have been very inconsistent amid a season of injuries and one distraction in particular when Jimmy Butler publicly requested to be traded from the team, leading to friction and turmoil with the team’s brass and a very ugly exit from the team.
This has led Miami to go exactly .500 on the season and is 5-5 over its last 10 games. The last time it stacked more than three wins in a row was in the middle of January when it rattled off wins against the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers.
However, with the Butler drama in the rearview and a solidified roster after the trade deadline, the Heat can now focus inward and push forward to what will hopefully be a deep playoff race.
The seeming leader this season has been 25-year-old guard Tyler Herro, who will be an All-Star for the first time in his career after having previously won the 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year award and making an All-Rookie team in the 2019-20 season. The All-Star is averaging a career-high 23.7 points on a blistering 46.5 percent shooting from the field and 38.8 percent from deep to go along with 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
With Herro leading the pack of offense, don’t be surprised if the Heat somehow make a push all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals this season. That journey continues tonight with a game against the Celtics at 7:30 p.m. EST.
