The Miami Heat have not even started the 2022-23 regular season yet, but injuries have already started to take a toll.
According to a Tuesday report, guard Marcus Garrett has suffered a fractured right wrist and will be re-evaluated in a month.
This is not the first time Garrett has dealt with issues related to his right wrist. He underwent season-ending surgery on his right wrist last season. He was around the Heat while going through his rehabilitation process.
“I came back to finish off what I started,” Garrett said during the summer. “I like this team, this organization and what they stand for. The way they play is something I want to be a part of. So I’ve just stuck with this team.”
It’s certainly a shame for Garrett, though it likely will not be much of a blow to the Heat on the court. Last season, Garrett’s first in the NBA, the University of Kansas product played in just 12 games for the Heat. He averaged 1.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
Surely, Garrett is going to want to take the time that he needs to fully heal up before taking the court again. Given that Garrett entered the league as an undrafted rookie, a reputation of being injury-prone would only hurt his chances of extending his NBA career.
As for the Heat, they’ll move on from this injury and look ahead to the only game left on their preseason schedule. Miami has rattled off three straight wins after losing its preseason opener.
The Heat will take on the New Orleans Pelicans in their preseason finale on Wednesday. After that, they’ll have a week to get right and iron everything out ahead of their 2022-23 regular season opener against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 19.
As Heat fans know, the team came up just one win short of advancing to the 2022 NBA Finals last season. Though the Eastern Conference figures to be even more competitive this season, the Heat obviously still have the goal of winning the conference and NBA title.
Only time will tell if the Heat manage to accomplish that ultimate goal this time around.