Goran Dragic will be unavailable for the Miami Heat tonight against the Atlanta Hawks.
And another one bites the dust.
Ok, maybe the outlook isn’t that bleak, but the Miami Heat will be without yet another core player tonight.
As the Heat travel north to face the Atlanta Hawks, starting point guard Goran Dragic will be relegated to the sidelines.
After missing Thursday’s practice with a right foot ailment, Dragic submitted to a shot of cortisone and the decision to sit out of Saturday’s game.
Though the injury is limited to discomfort, Dragic’s absence from Saturday’s game is more precautionary than anything else.
"“We just want to go and treat it first and see if it’s going to be any better,” Dragic said. “But you’re always pounding in this, so it’s always the same or worse.”"
Taking precaution with Dragic’s foot is certainly the move for the long run, but against a spry Hawks team lead by NBA Draft standout Trae Young, head coach Erik Spoelstra will need all hands on deck.
Who runs point?
The biggest hole in Miami’s roster without Dragic will be particularly noticeable in tonight’s matchup: who runs the offense as point guard?
Miami has already experienced some lineup troubles, especially with overcrowding at the center position, which has in turn limited Bam Adebayo’s run through the first seven games.
Now, without Dragic, Spoelstra will have to jerry rig another set of rotations, that can both handle Young defensively, while outpacing Young’s production offensively.
"“We have a lot of ball handlers,” Spoelstra said of Dragic’s absence. “If anything, our roster has as much depth with ball handling and playmaking as any conventional team with specific point guards”."
A likely solution could be a combination of Justise Winslow and Tyler Johnson at point.
Both have handled the role in their Miami tenures, with Winslow’s point duties coming more into focus over the course of last season.
Johnson matches up nicely with Young, but Winslow’s bigger frame could be the key to overpowering Young to the point of overexertion.
Young’s body is still closer to that of a stringy college student than a full-fledged professional.
Winslow’s physicality could help neutralize Young on both sides of the floor, which will be much needed without Dragic’s near-18 points per game.
Equally as important with whoever assumes ballhandling duties, is to keep composure for 48 minutes.
Dragic is a career point guard and constantly feels the pressure of protecting the rock. Plugging Johnson or Winslow into the role tonight is fine, but they’ll need to be extra careful not to exacerbate Miami’s already terrible turnover troubles.
This is a real game
Tonight’s matchup is also significant because it provides another chance for the Heat to fix their mentality against subpar teams.
Against the Sacramento Kings, the Heat were thoroughly outplayed by a team that is normally the butt of NBA jokes.
Miami was out of punchlines as they gave up 68 points in the paint, in addition to throwing away 18 fast break points.
The Heat have struggled with playing down to their competition, but with as fast as the game has gotten, even the worst teams can take advantage of careless turnovers and poor defensive spacing.
Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore is having his best offensive season so far, just as Young, Taurean Prince and Alex Len all score in double digits on a nightly basis.
The Hawks may still be figuring things out with a new coach and new roster, but underestimating their talent is too easy of a mistake for Miami to make.
Tip-off begins at 7:30 PM ET.