Jordan Santos

Location:AT&amp;T Center, San Antonio, TX

Injury Updates: Miami: Jimmy Butler, Questionable, Injury/Illness (Left Big Toe; Irritation) - Kyle Lowry, Questionable, Personal Reasons - Caleb Martin, Questionable, Injury/Illness (Left Achilles; Soreness) - P.J. Tucker, Questionable, Injury/Illness (Knee) - Markieff Morris, Out, Return to Competition Reconditioning - Victor Oladipo, Out, Injury/Illness (Right Knee; Injury Recovery) - KZ Okpala, Out, Injury/Illness (Right Wrist; Sprain) - Omer Yurtseven, Out, Health and Safety Protocols; San Antonio: Jakob Poeltl, Out, Injury/Illness (Concussion Protocol) - Dejounte Murray, Questionable, Injury/Illness (Left Wrist; Sprain) - Doug McDermott, Questionable, Injury/Illness (Right Ankle; Sprain) - Jock Landale, Out, Injury/Illness (Concussion Protocol) - Zach Collins, Out, Return to Competition Reconditioning - Keita Bates-Diop, Out, Return to Competition Reconditioning

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Gameday Rundown: One Month Later, San Antonio

Item of the Game: Black Friday Sale - 40% off select merchandise (excludes Mashup, Vice Nights jersey, Personalized jerseys)

Injury Updates: Miami: Markieff Morris, Out, Injury/Illness (Neck; Whiplash) - Marcus Garrett, Out, Injury/Illness (Right Wrist; Tendinitis) - Victor Oladipo, Out, Injury/Illness (Right Knee; Injury Recovery); Chicago: Not Yet Submitted

-The HEAT and Bulls meet for the first of four matchups this regular season.

-Last season, Miami won the series, 2-1, and has currently won a franchise-best four-straight games in Chicago and 10 of the last 13 meetings overall. 

-The HEAT are 58-60 all-time versus the Bulls during the regular season, including 34-25 in home games and 24-35 in road games.

-Saturday marks as the busiest day for the HEAT this season, with 18 games on the day. Tonight is the sixth consecutive Saturday Miami has played on to start the season and the fifth being on the road. The HEAT will also play on the next two Saturday’s as well. Additionally, there are only seven Saturday’s during the entire season that Miami will not play on.

-Jimmy Butler is just six offensive rebounds from the 1,000th of his career.

-Tyler Herro is averaging a league-best 21.2 points off the bench this season and despite starting four games, his 297 bench points are the second-most by a reserve in the NBA.

-Duncan Robinson has currently connected on a three-point field goal in 67-straight games, the longest streak in team history, surpassing a record he previously set.

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Gameday Rundown: Showdown In Chicago

Dwyane Wade A Flash of Brilliance Ignites the Franchise Flame for Two Decades

Dwyane Wade stands as the most decorated player in HEAT franchise history. His HEAT jersey hangs in the rafters, as do banners commemorating the three NBA Championships and a Team USA Gold medal won in 2008. 25,420 points, 6,156 assists, 1,893 steals, and 1,055 blocked shots were accrued during his 15-season tenure with the HEAT when combining regular season and playoff statistics, and yet, these near-unparalleled numbers undersell the sheer experience of watching Dwyane Wade on the floor: Peerless end-to-end speed combined with the temerity to suss out a hitherto unseen path to the rim made D-Wade one of the most unique forces the NBA has ever seen. Add maybe the sharpest passing chops from a shooting guard and a flair for heroics (Do a search for "Dwyane Wade Career Game-Winners" whenever you need a pick-me-up), and you have the closest thing to a real-life superhero the franchise has ever known.

The four-year HEAT tenure of LeBron James remains one of the most dominant stretches of basketball seen in modern NBA history. Two MVPs (the only HEAT player to win the award), four All-NBA 1st team selections, four appearance in the NBA Finals, and two Finals MVPs helped solidify LeBron as not only one of the greatest players of his generation but any era of NBA basketball. His HEAT regular-season averages of 26.9 points (highest per-game average in team history), 7.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists alongside a mind-boggling 54.3% from the field only partially demonstrate the manner in which James would systematically dismantle opposing teams, best exemplified by the 27-game winning streak (the second-longest winning streak in NBA history) the 2012-2013 HEAT would embark on their way to their third NBA Championship.

Shaquille O'Neal A Promise Kept "Remember this: I will bring a championship to Miami. I promise."

Shaquille O'Neal was right of course. The HEAT, a franchise whose previous high water mark was making the Eastern Conference Finals (in 1997), would secure their very first title with Shaq in tow. The big man would help change the complexion of the entire organization, with the team averaging just under 52 wins in his three full HEAT seasons. Shaq would earn a pair of All-NBA 1st team selections (including a razor-thin 2nd place MVP finish in 2005), as well as make three All-Star teams during his HEAT tenure, and helped guide Miami to the postseason each of his three years. Dwyane Wade, who Shaq dubbed "The Flash," is rightfully recognized for his own dominant playoff and NBA Finals performances in 2006, but Shaq deserves special recognition for his performance in the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons, who beat Miami in the 2005 Conference Finals, were the best regular season team in the NBA that year, winning a league-high 64 games, but Shaq would produce some of his best games in a HEAT uniform against those very Pistons, including a dominant 28-point, 16-rebound, 5-block clincher to send Miami to the Finals.

When Ray Allen joined the Miami HEAT in 2012, the former Buck, Supersonic, and Celtic was already number one on the NBA's all-time made threes list. The HEAT, coming off a title, suddenly appeared to have an embarrassment of riches, adding a 10-time All-Star to an already deep pool of talent and shooting. Allen, long feared by HEAT fans in large part due to his showings as a Celtic, would suddenly become a beloved ally off the bench for the club, giving LeBron James and Dwyane Wade perhaps the deadliest kick-out option the league had seen to that point. Ray often served as a closer (his 89.4% mark from the free throw line still stands as a club record) and hit multiple game-winning and go-ahead shots in the regular season. Of course, Ray's most important three did not come courtesy of James or Wade, but off of a bear hug of an offensive rebound and kick out from Chris Bosh that would tie Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals and allow the HEAT to win the ensuing overtime and Game 7.

Gary Payton The Glove's Guile is Miami's Gain

On nearly the 10th anniversary of arguably the worst heartbreak of Gary Payton's career, falling in the 1996 Finals to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, the veteran point guard would turn his and the HEAT's fortunes around. Down 2-0 in the 2006 NBA Finals and facing a 13-point 4th quarter deficit, Miami rode the shoulders of a 24-year-old Dwyane Wade to even the score. But it was Payton's shot, a subtle pump-fake from the three into a one-dribble mid-range pull-up, that would unknot the game and give the HEAT the lead with only seconds to spare. The 2006 HEAT would go on to win the title and further solidly the now-Hall-of-Famer Payton's standing as one of the most feared two-way players of the 90s and 2000s.

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HEAT Legends Enter NBA's Top 75 Team

Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler have been named to the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Second Team, both leading the Second Team with 111 points apiece. This marks as Adebayo’s second All-Defensive Team selection and Butler’s fifth. Additionally, it is also the 15th and 16th time a member of the HEAT has been named to an All-Defensive Team and just the second time multiple HEAT players have earned the honor in the same season, joining Alonzo Mourning and P.J. Brown (1998-99).

Adebayo, who finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting this season, averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.17 steals and 1.03 blocks while shooting 57 percent from the field. He helped anchor a defense that allowed just 10.4 fast break points and only 41.3 points in the paint per game, both the lowest in the NBA. The HEAT also finished third in opponent field goals made per game, third in charges taken, fifth in points allowed, fifth in deflections and sixth in opponent field goal percentage. Adebayo defended multiple positions all season, defending 351 shots from Guards, 336 shots from Forwards and 138 shots from Centers while holding the guards to just 39.3 percent shooting, including just 33.3 percent from three-point range. He posted a team-high 29 points, dished out seven assists and blocked a career-tying five shots on March 25 vs. Portland to become just the fourth player in team history to record a 25-point, 5-assist, 5-block game and he grabbed the 2,000th rebound of his career on February 24 vs. Toronto, becoming the youngest player in franchise history to achieve the feat. Adebayo capped the season leading the HEAT in blocks (66), offensive rebounds (142), defensive rebounds (431) and total rebounds (573) while finishing second in steals (75).

Butler, who led the NBA in steals per game this season, averaged a team-leading 21.5 points, 7.1 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 2.08 steals, becoming the first HEAT player in franchise history to lead the league in steals. He recorded nine-straight multi-steal games from March 31 – April 16, the longest such streak in team history. He started the season recording a career-high seven steals in Miami’s Opening Night Game on December 23 at Orlando, the most in a season-opener in HEAT history. He recorded the 1,000th steal of his career on January 30 vs. Sacramento and grabbed at least eight rebounds in 11-straight games from February 1-20, becoming the first HEAT non-center to accomplish the feat since Shawn Marion’s 13-game stretch from February 26, 2008 – November 1, 2008. Butler led Miami with 108 steals and has now recorded at least 100 steals in eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the NBA.

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Adebayo And Butler Named To NBA All-Defensive Second Team

Location: AdventHealth Arena at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports

Item of the Game:  Miami HEAT Combo Pack

-  Goran Dragic (Left Foot Torn Plantar Fascia) is doubtful for Game 5. Gabe Vincent (Right Knee Soreness) is questionable.

- Jimmy Butler has now scored at least 20 points and dished out at least five assists in each of the four NBA Finals games, becoming just the third player in Finals history to achieve the feat in his first four career Finals games, joining Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.

-  Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson have each connected on 52 three-point field goals this postseason, the most for a single postseason in HEAT history.

-  Tyler Herro has scored in double-figures in each of Miami’s 19 playoff games. His 19-game streak ties the longest by any rookie in NBA postseason history.

-  Erik Spoelstra has posted an overall 10-6 (.625) record when facing elimination, that ties for the fifth-highest winning percentage in NBA postseason history.

- The HEAT and Lakers met two times this regular season with LA winning both of those matchups.

- The HEAT is 27-37 all-time versus the Lakers during the regular season, including 18-14 in home games and 9-23 in road games. Additionally, the teams enter this postseason having never faced each other in the postseason.

Although the HEAT fought tooth and nail from start to finish, they couldn’t quite get over the hump and ultimately fell to the Lakers 102-96 Tuesday night at AdventHealth Arena in Orlando and are now down 3-1 in the NBA Finals.

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Gameday Rundown: HEAT Look To Stay Alive In Game 5

- The HEAT have taken a 2-0 series lead against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, becoming the first No. 5 seeded team or lower in NBA postseason history to hold a 2-0 series lead in their first three postseason series.

- Miami has held a 2-0 lead 16 previous times in team history, going on to post a perfect 16-0 series record.

- The HEAT came back from down 17 points in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics, tying their largest postseason comeback win in team history when they also came back from a 17-point deficit against the Thunder during Game 4 of the 2012 NBA.

- Tyler Herro has scored in double-figures in each of Miami’s 11 playoff games, the longest postseason double-figure scoring streak by a rookie in HEAT history, surpassing the previous record of 10-straight games which was held by Dwyane Wade.

- Goran Dragić has currently scored in double-figures in 29 consecutive postseason games, the fourth-longest streak by a member of the HEAT in team history.

- The HEAT and Celtics met three times this regular season with Boston winning two of those three matchups.

- Miami is 48-75 all-time versus the Celtics during the regular season, including 29-35 in home games and 19-40 in road games.

- The teams enter this postseason having faced each other three previous times during the playoffs with Miami winning two of those three series.

Thanks to a remarkable third quarter, the HEAT came back from an early 17-point deficit and ultimately defeated the Celtics 106-101 Thursday night at AdventHealth Arena in Orlando to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Gameday Rundown: HEAT Look To Take Commanding 3-0 Lead Over Celtics

The Miami HEAT host the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Get your tickets now! The HEAT fell to the Cavaliers 91-89 in their last meeting on Jan. 31. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM and television coverage is on TNT. You can also listen to the action live on 790 The Ticket.

1: What did you take away from the overtime loss to Indiana?

Couper Moorhead: It was an exciting, well-played game that ultimately came down to just a few shots – in other words it was a game from Miami’s 2017-18 regular season, their league-leading Clutch Game No. 50. But what stood out about this one was precisely those few game-changing shots at the end of the game.

As Miami used their regular assortment of late-game lineups with their regular coverage against an attacking, ball-dominant guard in Victor Oladipo. As they’ve done against that archetype of scorer lately, especially with Hassan Whiteside out with an injury, the HEAT hedged a little further out on the perimeter and pinched off driving lanes wherever possible by helping off perimeter shooters. Miami’s coverage is usually so exact, and their closeouts so good, that this has been an effective strategy against a number of teams. And even though he made the shot, if it forces Oladipo into a tough pull-up three at the end of the game, that’s a minor victory in itself. But the Pacers adjusted well in overtime, using that defensive hedge to hit Myles Turner in the middle of the floor, where he didn’t settle for the mid-range look and made a couple of nice, impactful passes – the most noteworthy of which was a cross-court look to Darren Collison for a corner three after the HEAT had helped off on the middle action. What Indiana did well there, too, was to place another screener, Thaddeus Young, on the block to give Collison an extra beat for his look. 

It wasn’t anything Miami did wrong. Their defensive coverage was generally sound and appropriate. But in tight, playoff-esque games like this you’re going to see good teams make good adjustments late in games. Indiana did that on Sunday, and it offers Miami an extra bit of data with which to prepare for April.

Joe Beguiristain: Despite the loss, the HEAT are starting to figure out what it’s going to take late in games during the postseason. While it’s true that Miami has played in tight matchups all year, business has picked up over the past week or so with teams forging ahead towards the playoffs.

In particular on Sunday, the HEAT did a solid job defensively against a Pacers squad that’s nearly as balanced as them. For starters, Miami managed the pick-and-roll quite well and kept Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner in check for most of the night. Naturally, Josh Richardson impressed the most when guarding Oladpio and held him to just 2-of-7 shooting and three turnovers. Turner, meanwhile, scored just seven points on 1-of-8 shooting thanks to Bam Adebayo’s presence. As a whole, the HEAT kept the Pacers’ shot quality low all evening (expected effective field goal percentage of 49.8) and made things very difficult for them.  

All that said, Indiana turned things around in overtime and Darren Collison hit some big shots down the stretch to seal the deal. While Dwyane Wade did his best to combat that with some fantastic passes and finishes inside, it just wasn’t enough in the end.

2: What has proven so difficult about the Cavaliers through two games and two losses for Miami?

Couper: In what will end up being a three-game series with Cleveland this regular season, it seems that for how in flux Miami’s lineup has been they will end up playing three completely different Cavaliers teams. In the first outing, Cleveland was without Tristan Thompson, Isaiah Thomas had yet to play a game and Kevin Love was starting at center. It was Love who made the greatest and earliest impact, stretching out Miami’s defense with a number of early threes, attacking the offensive glass, posting up mismatches on switches and generally being the catalyst for Cleveland scoring 75 points in the first half (to Miami’s 49). At that point, the game was essentially over and both teams emptied their benches fairly early.

In the second game, a two-point Cleveland win, Thomas and Thompson were now both starting and Love was out with an injury. This one was played much more at Miami’s pace and to Miami’s usual blueprint, with neither team generating much offensive traction as each possession was at a premium. Cleveland only shot 35 percent from the field, including 2-of-15 from Thomas (before he started rounding into shape a bit more after being traded to the Lakers), but Miami had their worst shooting game of the season going 3-of-28 from downtown. It was an ugly game, one of the last Cleveland would play before totally revamping their rotation, and like so many other Heat games, it came down to the final possession.

Was there a common thread there? Not so much, especially given how much of an outlier defensive performance that second game was for Cleveland, but if there’s anything that sticks out as something to watch for from those games it’s how much of a challenge Love presented in that first meeting. Love isn’t starting at center anymore, but that’s a potent look Cleveland will always have in its pocket.

James, fresh off yet another Eastern Conference Player of the Week Award, has been on an absolute tear of late. Over the past seven outings, James is averaging a triple-double with 33.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game on 60.1 percent shooting. At the same time on the defensive end, the 33-year-old has locked down all five positions as usual. In other words, LeBron has been LeBron.

With the playoffs on the horizon, this is the time of year when James seemingly flips a switch and goes into absolute beast mode. Luckily enough for Miami, Wade always brings a little extra when going up against one of his best friends. We should be in for a very fun night.

3: How will Cleveland’s new additions affect this matchup?

Couper: The Cavaliers’ moves at the trade deadline were all encompassing, acquiring Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. from the Lakers, George Hill from the Sacramento Kings and Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz while sending out Thomas, Jae Crowder, Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert – and of course trading Dwyane Wade to Miami. For a team in championship contention, that’s as severe an overhaul as you’re ever going to see around the trade deadline.

Has it worked? Cleveland is the No. 3 offense (114.5 per 100) and No. 18 defense (109.1 per 100) since the trade deadline, and both rankings are improvements over where they were before. Nance in particular has been a fascinating addition as he’s starting at center and the team has an elite defensive rating of 102.4 with him on the floor. It’s only 355 minutes so far, but that’s a major deal for a team that had struggled defensively.

Otherwise, the trades gave the Cavaliers more shooters to put around LeBron James, which history has proven to be as good a formula as any in this league. That makes it even more difficult for Miami to pull off the type of paint-centric coverage we discussed earlier regarding Indiana. Nobody is better than finding the shooter being helped off of than James, which puts even more pressure on James Johnson and Justise Winslow to stay in front of him and allow Miami to cover those shooters. Cleveland still has holes to attack defensively, but they can put strain on a defense like few other teams. 

Joe: After a lackluster start, Cleveland made wholesale changes at the trade deadline and acquired four new players. Amongst them, George Hill has really made his presence felt, as the Cavaliers have scored 118.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. In addition to being able to hit spot-up threes, Hill can also make plays off the dribble both for himself and for his teammates. What’s more, the 31-year-old has already shown good chemistry with James in their short time playing together. Above all else though, Hill’s experience and veteran savvy should go a long way for Cleveland in the postseason.   

With Hill and a bunch of capable shooters now in the fray for the Cavaliers, the HEAT really have to defend the three-point line with discipline. Miami has done a great job of limiting attempts from beyond the arc all season long (especially the corners), but Cleveland is a whole different animal.

INJURY UPDATE: Bam Adebayo is out with a right ankle sprain.

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Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami HEAT Game Preview

The Miami HEAT face the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night at Wells Fargo Center. The HEAT defeated the 76ers 125-98 in their last meeting on March 1. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM. Television coverage on FOX Sports Sun begins at 7:30 PM. You can also listen to the action live on 790 The Ticket.

1: What was your main takeaway from Miami’s close loss at Cleveland?

Couper Moorhead: Despite the dramatic finish, this game had the feeling of one that might be somewhat discarded for scouting purposes even should these teams meet in the postseason. It was a disjointed, rhythm-less affair in which each side had their second-worst offensive game of the year, combining for 35 turnovers and 9-of-54 shooting from three. Both teams had their defensive moments, the HEAT able to effectively cut off many of LeBron James’ passing lanes by playing two-on-two defense in the middle of the floor and Cleveland able to keep Miami out of any sort of flow despite usage of spacing-heavy lineups, but little about the affair felt particularly instructive in any way. Sure, it was a missed opportunity with the No. 3 seed available and the tiebreaker with Cleveland at risk but it’s just now February. As long as Miami is firmly in the playoff mix and not chasing the group to get back in, we can fret about seeding come March.

Joe Beguiristain: Simply put, it was a defensive slugfest.

While the HEAT did a nice job defensively and held the Cavaliers to just 35 percent shooting, they had their own issues putting the ball in the hoop. That said, Josh Richardson made some timely plays late and scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter. On the flip side of the ball, Richardson defended Dwyane Wade and Isaiah Thomas quite well throughout the contest.

Although Richardson was great, you can’t forget about Justise Winslow’s performance on Wednesday night. The 21-year-old rose to the occasion against LeBron James and limited him as much as possible. Of course, Winslow also showed improved touch around the rim and set up his teammates well.

All in all, it was a pretty ugly game like Coup mentioned above, but the fact is Miami had a chance to win it in the end. That’s really all you can ask for. 

2: With this being the first time the HEAT will see Philadelphia in the regular season, how have they been different this year and how is their season going?

Couper: The 76ers are 24-24 with a Top 5 defense and around a league-average offense. That alone should tell you they aren’t just the plucky, play-hard sort of team from the past couple of years stealing wins whenever they could. This is a team vying for a playoff spot and if they stay healthy there’s no reason to think they won’t have a great chance at one.

Speaking of health, Philly’s fundamentals actually undersell the team a bit considering how awesome they’ve been whenever Joel Embiid is on the floor. He still sits some games to rest, this weekend being the first back-to-back he’s planning to play in his career, as reported, but when he’s on the floor the 76ers score 110 points per 100 possessions and allow 100.5. In other words, with Embiid they’re a Top 3 offense and a Top 3 defense at the same time. Their bench has been up and down, with a midseason acquisition of Trevor Booker fleshing out their depth some, but there’s little doubt that they can put out some of the best lineups in the entire league.

Joe: While the 76ers have dropped three straight, they are much better than they were last season. Of course, having Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid for most of the year will do that. Thanks to the duo, Philadelphia is one of the top defenses in the league and give up just 103.5 points per 100 possessions.

In terms of new additions, the 76ers signed sharpshooter J.J. Redick and big man Amir Johnson in free agency and drafted Markelle Fultz in the draft. They also traded for Trevor Booker in early December.

Of those guys, Redick has proven to be the most impactful, as the former Clipper is second on the team with 17.4 points per game on 41.1 percent shooting from deep. Above all else, Redick provides Philadelphia with a viable knockdown shooter for the first time in years. As such, the 76ers score 108.5 points per 100 possessions with the former Duke Blue Devil on the floor, which is good enough for second on the team behind Embiid.

3: How do you expect Miami to approach the combination of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid?

Couper: As good as the 76ers are when Embiid is on the court, they’re even better when he’s out there with Simmons. Embiid will be as difficult an assignment Hassan Whiteside will have all season, as he’s adept at scoring from just anywhere on the floor, able to pump-fake a jumper and get all the way to the rim, post-up, pass and, perhaps most troublesome for this game, draw a ton of fouls. Whiteside probably won’t get much help in the post lest Miami give up passes to Philly’s dangerous shooters, but on the perimeter the HEAT will have to pressure the ball so Embiid doesn’t get clean catches on the move and be ready to slide into the paint and help on all of his drives.

Simmons offers a slightly different tactical proposition. Unlike Embiid, Simmons has only taken 10 threes all season – it’s a testament to his ability with the ball in his hands that he still gets into the paint and shoots a high percentage. The HEAT could choose to play Simmons like most teams and sag well off – how teams used to play Rajon Rondo, for instance – to deter the drive, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Erik Spoelstra at least try pressuring the ball in pick-and-roll so Simmons can’t get comfortable see the floor and getting a full head of steam going into the paint. 

The tricky part for Miami will be the matchups. Simmons is the starting point guard, not a point forward like James Johnson, and he has a distinct size advantage over any of the HEAT’s guards – with a capable enough post game to take advantage. Josh Richardson could possibly draw the initial assignment, just as he’s defended larger players all season, with Goran Dragić and Tyler Johnson keying on J.J. Redick and Robert Covington, but we’ll probably also see time with James Johnson and Justise Winslow on Simmons to keep him off balance. And if Miami’s base defense doesn’t work, they can always play more conservatively and give Simmons and large cushion.

Joe: Given how dynamic both Embiid and Simmons are, it’ll definitely be tough to stop the two.

You may know by now that Embiid is one of the more versatile bigs in the game with his ability to score inside and outside with the best of them. In addition to shooting 66.8 percent in the restricted area, the 23-year-old also shoots 45.8 percent from mid-range (81-of-177). As a result, this will be one of the toughest covers of the season for Hassan Whiteside. That said, the HEAT center swatted Embiid twice in their preseason matchup on Oct. 13. We’ll see how things turn out this time around.

As for Simmons, the rookie is still working on his outside shot, but he can really do damage in the paint off the dribble. In fact, the 21-year-old is among league leaders with 17.3 drives per game and has attempted just 78 shots outside the paint this season. With that in mind, I’d expect Miami to play off him a little bit and go under the screen in pick-and-roll situations.

Either way, it’ll be fun watching Richardson defend the Aussie more often than not on Friday night.