Heat call in Cole Swider with Duncan Robinson dealing with thumb issue
NEW YORK – At times such as these, it is helpful to have around an Amazing Swider-man.
With 3-point specialist Duncan Robinson requiring a Friday scan for his sprained right thumb, forward Cole Swider arrived back to the Miami Heat ahead of Friday night’s game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
On a two-way contract, Swider spent the past week in the G League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he shot 50% on 12.7 attempts per game in his three-game stint.
“It’s a good thing that Cole has been playing and was able to log a bunch of minutes in our system, so we all feel very comfortable with him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Having spent last season on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, Swider said he was comfortable transitioning between the two leagues on short notice.
“I think going back to Sioux Falls was great,” he said. “I was able to play three full games and really get in the trenches with that. So it was great to go there. Now I feel like I’m in a rhythm and ready and able to go.”
With Swider playing with Heat players Jamal Cain and Nikola Jovic with the Skyforce, there was the feel of more than minor-league competition.
“Obviously, there’s nothing that can really simulate the NBA when it comes to Jalen Brunson and Madison Square Garden,” Swider said of the Knicks’ guard. “But the good thing about going down there is that we played against all three two-ways in Milwaukee and one assignment player. And then we played against Chicago with two assignment players and all three two-ways. It’s probably as close as you can get to an NBA-format type of game.”
More G League
Spoelstra at the morning shootaround explained the decision to send second-year center Orlando Robinson to the G League in the wake of Robinson going for 14 points and nine rebounds in 27:32 in Wednesday night’s victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Orlando, we want him to play, as well,” Spoelstra said. “You can see his improvement. And if we didn’t have so much depth in the frontcourt, you can definitely make a case for him being worthy of minutes in our rotation.”
Spoelstra said the move of Robinson to the G League will also allow the Heat to see Jovic with the Skyforce as a power forward, instead of solely at center.
“I’m sure Niko will like that,” Spoelstra said of the 2022 first-round pick out of Serbia. “He’ll be able to play his natural position. But it is important for him, Niko I’m talking about, to get enough experience at both positions and the differences. And there’s no better place than just get a lot of minutes and games in the G League for that.”
In addition to Swider, forward Jamal Cain, also on a two-way contract, was back from the G League.
“Jamal had been there for a little bit of time,” Spoelstra said of Cain’s five games with Sioux Falls, where he averaged 26 points and 9.6 rebounds. “We don’t want to keep him too far away from us.”
Adebayo’s hip
Center Bam Adebayo on Friday addressed the bruised left hip that kept him out of Wednesday’s victory, the same injury that had him out a month ago in a road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, his only previous absence of the season.
“To force a game, it might set me back two or three games. The biggest thing is weighing your options,” Adebayo said of grudgingly sitting out in Cleveland.
A blow during Monday night’s victory against the Bulls forced the issue.
“Definitely something that happened in the Chicago game,” he said. “We’re looking to drive this thing, keep collecting these wins. So the biggest thing for me is be out there. But the best thing I can do is taking care of your body.”
Spoelstra said the area is padded, but Adebayo said there are limits of such hip protection while playing in the post.
“Just because, obviously, we set screens, we roll, we bump each other, we box out, we dive on the floor,” Adebayo said.