Here we are! Finally, the dark cloud has passed the South Beach. Now, the Miami Heat side either can work on developing their new-look team or rebuild from scratch. The team has two new faces, Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson, on the roster after the much-awaited exit of Jimmy Butler. While Wiggs can’t be considered as an exact replacement for Butler, he sure does have proved himself. The ex-Warriors star has earned himself a ring. So, without a doubt, the one-time All-Star can bring a different flavor to the team’s ring hunt.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Tonight, the Heat take on the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. It’s the first game since the Miami side relieved itself from the clutches of Butler drama. So, the buzzing question in the NBA world is will Wiggins and Anderson make their Heat debut tonight? Well, it’s slightly unlikely to happen.
The team listed the duo in the Day-to-Day category and it entirely depends on their travel arrangements. Notably, both forwards were healthy before the trade and Andrew Wiggins was in hot touch, averaging 20.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg in the last 10 games. On the other hand, the team also has a deep injury report, possibly affecting the team’s depth for tonight’s action.
The Heat injury report:
- Haywood Highsmith (Achilles) – Probable
- Kevin Love (Knee) – Probable
- Nikola Jovic (Calf) – Probable
Moreover, the team’s another new prospect, Davion Mitchell, who got traded into the side from the Raptors has also been listed in the Day-to-Day category. On the other hand, the Nets also have a lengthy injury report:
- Bojan Bogdanovic (Foot) – Out
- Noah Clowney (Ankle) – Out
- Cam Thomas (Hamstring) – Out
- Maxwell Lewis (Left tibia) -Out
Andrew Wiggins & Co. vs Nets: Starting Lineup and Injury Report
Standing in the sixth seed of the East with a 25-24 record, the Heat has had an inconsistent run. We can blame the shaky stretch that Jimmy Butler inflicted on the team. Now that he is out of the fold, the team has to look forward. The Heat posses an exploding talent in Tyler Herro. The point guard has been the only consistent player on the roster along with Bam Adebayo‘s lukewarm run this season. So, a change is something that the Miami need. Wiggins on the frontcourt can definitely ignite the fire.
The Miami Heat
| STARTING LINE UP | SECOND UNIT | THIRD UNIT | |
| PG | Tyler Herro | Terry Rozier | Alec Burks |
| SG | Duncan Robinson | Pelle Larsson | – |
| SF | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | – | – |
| PF | Bam Adebayo | – | – |
| C | Kel’el Ware | – | – |
The Brooklyn Nets
| STARTING LINE UP | SECOND UNIT | THIRD UNIT | |
| PG | D’Angelo Russell | Ben Simmons | Reece Beekman |
| SG | Keon Johnson | Tyrese Martin | – |
| SF | Cam Johnson | Ziaire Williams | – |
| PF | Jalen Wilson | Tosan Evbuomwan | – |
| C | Nic Claxton | Day’Ron Sharpe | Trendon Watford |
On the other end, the Nets’ journey to earn a better spot in the draft lottery has been going pretty well. But on odd games, the underdogs surprise the NBA world with their grit. Recently, they defeated the mighty Houston Rockets in a nail-biter. The Heat better need to watch out before taking the Nets lightly. Who do you think will this contest? Let us know in the comments.