Miami Heat Rumors
Shandel Richardson: Rodney McGruder and Justise Winslow are both out vs Spurs tomorrow
It’s safe to say it. The sample size is big enough now. March is just the Heat’s month. After Monday’s impressive road win against the Thunder, the Heat moved to 7-2 in March this season. Miami’s only losses this month have come against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, Toronto and Milwaukee. But zoom out to examine the entirety of Erik Spoelstra’s 11-season tenure as the Heat’s head coach, and winning in March has become a trend. Miami has posted an eye-opening 111-59 record (.653 winning percentage) in March under Spoelstra, compared to a regular-season winning percentage of .580 in all other months. What is it about this specific month late in the season before the playoffs begin in April that gets the Heat to play its best basketball? A lot of the players asked didn’t have an answer, but Dwyane Wade offered a theory.
“I think no matter what team we’ve had, I think the one thing that’s made us have success as an organization is just the consistency, the constant beating in the mind of this is how we got to do it, this is how we got to do it and never letting up,” Wade said, with the Heat continuing its four-game trip Wednesday against the Spurs. “A couple years ago when this team was 11-30, Spo didn’t let up. I know him, he didn’t let up. He continued to keep working the habits, working the game, making sure each player knew what their importance is and why they’re here. Then eventually no matter how stubborn you are, eventually you start getting it. I think sometimes it takes longer for certain teams. But I always feel the Miami Heat is always better toward the end for the most part than in the beginning because it’s not an easy system, it’s not an easy culture to get used to. It takes awhile to get used to everything.”
The Miami HEAT announced today that they have assigned Charles Cooke to their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and will join the team tonight for their game at the Oklahoma City Blue.
Anthony Chiang: Spoelstra on McGruder’s left knee soreness: “It was bothering him a little bit the last few days, and we just want to take care of it.”
