Ira Winderman: Erik Spoelstra’s Hope For Heat Health Is ‘breathing It Into Existence’

MIAMI — If the injury epidemic truly was an epidemic then at least the Miami Heat would have been in position to search for a specific cure. Instead coach Erik Spoelstra admits there is no singular solution for the player absences that have limited his team in recent seasons and practically paralyzed it in last season’s playoffs. So, yes, there has been scrutiny about what has stood as an inability to remain ambulatory “We have,” Spoelstra said of investigation into the issue, “but it’s not anything worthy of a headline.” Actually, it is. Because not only did the Heat stand fifth in the NBA in player games missed in the 2023-24 regular season, but even in being limited to five playoff games, the Heat still found themselves in last season’s playoffs playing in the absences of Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez and Josh Richardson. For a team inbuilt in recent seasons — and built again — based on an ensemble approach, each absence triggers its own set of issues. When more than one player is out, those issues become exponential — as it was in the playoff series against the Celtics without Butler and Rozier. This has not been — and does not stand as — a team that can turn to a single star to carry it for any extended period, with all due respect to the versatility of Butler and Bam Adebayo.