MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 116-107 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers:
– There was a moment before Tuesday night’s game when the question was why Jimmy Butler was playing.
– Or, more to the point, why the Heat were putting Butler at risk.
– Because just before the opening tip came word of the Suns sending out a prime first-round pick to the Jazz for three lesser first-round picks in return.
– The exact type of haul needed by the Suns to leverage a trade of Butler.
– With Phoenix very much Butler’s preferred destination.
– Yes, there are many moving parts at play.
– And nothing is definitive.
– But even if this is just Part A, why risk Parts B, C, D, etc.?
– Jimmy Butler still doesn’t want to be here.
– No matter the occasional bursts the past three games.
– The Heat would benefit from getting the focus back on the court.
– Yes, the NBA trading deadline is not until Feb. 6.
– But was this Jimmy Butler’s final Heat home game?
– And if there was any chance of that answer being yes, then why put any trade element at risk?
– Certainly work still needs to be done on the trade front.
– But does any additional work need to be done by Butler?
-– Interesting times, indeed.
– With Tyler Herro out (groin), Heat opened with a lineup of Butler, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier, and, yes, Kel’el Ware.
– It was Herro’s first missed game of the season, the lone Heat player to have appeared in the first 41.
– It was Ware’s first start.
– Adebayo then was called for two fouls in the opening 2:43, but remained in the game.
– Nikola Jovic entered for Adebayo as the Heat’s first substitute, with 5:44 left in the first period.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. followed off the Heat bench.
– With Alec Burks making it eight deep.
– With the lineup switch, Haywood Highsmith remained out of the mix until entering with 6:22 to play in the second period.
– That, coach Erik Spoelstra said, should not be viewed as a loss of commitment.
– “Well,” Spoelstra said pregame, “we definitely have a need for him. I actually talked to him about it, that sometimes when things are fluid and they’re moving fast, sometimes things happen and it’s not at all an indictment or an indication of how you’re playing. And he’s an example of that.”
– Spoelstra added, “He’s had really important minutes and his role is important for us. He just has to stay with it. We all believe in him and we all know his importance. And as we figure things out, his minutes will likely be more consistent.”
– Burks then played as the Heat’s first reserve of the second half, after Robinson was called for his fourth foul early in the third period.
– Before the game, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said of Ware, “He fits perfectly in what they’re trying to do. I don’t think they’ve had a guy like that for a while.”
– Spoelstra and Adebayo received their Olympic championship rings pregame from Grant Hill, head of USA Basketball.
Originally Published: January 21, 2025 at 9:59 PM EST
