Bam Adebayo is expected to return to the Miami Heat's lineup just in time for one of the most brutal stretches of the season. Bam missed the last two games with lingering injury issues, most notably with back soreness.
The Heat went 2-0 without Bam in the lineup, but if they're going to definitively get back on track this season, they're going to need a healthy Bam for this next stretch of games.
At 17-15, to say that the Heat are going to be tested over these next few weeks is an understatement. The team's schedule certainly stiffens up as they prepare to face nine projected playoff teams over their next 11 games.
The Heat's struggles against teams over .500
Through roughly the first half of the season, the Heat are just 5-13 against teams over .500. If that trend continues, the Heat are going to find themselves back under .500 after this tough stretch of the schedule.
But that's where the Heat can flip the script on the season.
And if they're going get back to the team they were during the first 21 games of the season, in which the Heat was 14-7, they're going to need to prove themselves against some of these better teams.
If there's any sliver of good news, it's the fact that the Heat have looked slightly better on the offensive end of the floor over the last couple of games. Even with Bam out of the lineup, it appears that the Heat has slowly begun to find its rhythm on that end of the floor again.
Signs of promise for the Heat
Perhaps that could be due to the fact that they played two of the worst defensive teams in the league, the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers, but, especially at this point, the Heat will take every encouraging sign they can get.
Integrating Bam back into the lineup will certainly help. It would be equally as big if Tyler Herro could return at some point during this stretch. In fact, I'd imagine he will. The big question is, how will Erik Spoelstra slowly bring him back up to speed?
The first time around, Spo threw him right back into the starting lineup, and the results varied, especially depending on who you ask.
But this time around, Spo could attempt to put him in a role that he excelled in so much in the past - coming off the bench. Even if it is just until he gets his legs back under him, this is a move that could certainly help boost this team.
And if it works, who knows what Spo would do at that point.
Bam is back, and Herro may not be that far behind. If the Heat is going to make any waves in the East, now is the time. And the next 11 games will certainly be a great way for them to prove it.