ASK IRA: Would Heat dare sell injuries as reason for backslide?
Q: Is it fair to say that a good deal of this season’s woes are due to injuries and not having a true starting lineup for enough games to gel? Or is it just that they are not good even with everyone playing and need a complete tear down. – Irving.
A: The latter. As Erik Spoelstra has consistently stressed during his pregame media sessions, rare are games when either team is whole in today’s NBA. Yes, the Heat have had many miss time this season, but then consider all the contenders who have leading men ineligible for NBA awards due to the 65-game rule.
Somehow, the good teams find a way. Again as has been stressed in this space previously, the Heat were forecast by the Vegas types to finish at 37 1/2 wins. That’s what this roster is, and, by that measure, has overachieved, even while disappointing.
Related Articles Submit your “Ask Ira” question here! Q: Hey Ira, I get it that Heat coaches, management and players must toe the line during the season and have a glass-half-full mentality, i. e.
, “we have enough” and “we need to figure it out”, etc. I actually agree and respect that and it keeps the main thing the main thing. This season, the likely finish for the Heat is third in their own (weak) division.