David Ramiland Wes Goldberg here, the hosts of the daily Locked On Heat podcast, with your daily Locked On Heat newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Heat and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
The NBA Cup Starts Tonight
Dec 9, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver presents the NBA Cup to the Los Angeles Lakers after winning the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship game against the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports|Candice Ward/Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat will play their first NBA Cup game of the 2024-25 season when they face the Detroit Pistons on the road on Tuesday night (7 pm ET).
Jimmy Butler’s injury status
Unfortunately, they’ll have to do it without Jimmy Butler, who will miss his second straight game with a right ankle sprain.
Butler sustained the injury early in Friday’s road loss to the Denver Nuggets and was sidelined for Sunday’s road win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the first game Butler missed this regular season.
There is no timeline for his return but Butler has remained with the team on the road instead of returning to Miami, leaving open the possibility for a return before the end of the trip. After Tuesday’s game in Detroit, the Heat will wrap up a six-game trip with two games against the Indiana Pacers on Friday and Sunday.
“He’s just focused on treatment and doing whatever he has to do to get back out there,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We don’t have a timeline right now.”
Everyone else on the Heat roster is healthy, including Kevin Love, who made his first appearance of the season in Sunday’s win after missing the start of the year because of personal reasons. Jaime Jaquez Jr. also returned from a stomach illness in that game.
Miami’s NBA Cup Schedule
Tue. Nov. 12, Miami at Detroit, 7pm
Fri. Nov. 15, Miami at Indiana, 7pm
Tue. Nov. 26, Milwaukee at Miami, 7:30pm (TNT)
Fri. Nov. 29, Toronto at Miami, 8pm
NBA Cup Format
All 30 teams are randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the previous regular season.
All group play games will occur on “Tournament Nights,” which will take place every Tuesday and Friday from Nov. 12 - Dec. 3. All games count toward the regular season standings, except the championship.
Eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds: the team with the best standing in group play games in each of the six groups and one wild card team from each conference. The wild card will be the team from each conference with the best record in group play games that finished second in its group.
The semi-finals and championship game will be played at a neutral site in Las Vegas.
What can the Heat learn from last season’s NBA Cup?
The Heat went 4-2 in group play, finishing behind the Bucks and New York Knicks due to a tie-breaker based on point differential. The Heat outscored their group by a total of four points, behind Milwaukee (plus-46) and New York (plus-42).
There needs to be a focus on not only winning games, but winning big. The better Miami’s point differential in cup games, the better the chance of advancing.
The second annual NBA In-Season Tournament/much catchier ‘NBA Cup’ begins tonight, kicking off roughly a month of tournament games that fall on Tuesdays and Fridays. Then, we get into the quarterfinals and conference semifinals, the rules of which I am still not 100% clear on and am not ashamed to admit.
The newness of the Cup is what makes people skeptical of it. It’s what made me skeptical of it last season. It’s difficult to introduce new things into competitive ecosystems that seem largely “set”, which is why it happens rarely. My skepticism of the tournament came from the need to gameify what is already a game, but then I thought about how often the “product” of the NBA (e.g. basketball) gets complained about and realized the league was trying something. Trying something different versus just complaining about what already exists for the sake of griping is also rare.
Part of the fun of the tournament in its current, very green iteration, is its messiness. Last season, athletes were clear about how they, too, were stumped on the rules. How did the point system work? What were the knockout rules? Why were the custom courts so garish? But for the most part, players leaned into it. Did the Lakers lean a little too hard into it by hanging the In-Season Tournament banner in the rafters? Absolutely. But these are Tuesday night games in November — nothing about them should be sacrosanct.
A genuine lift I noticed and liked about last season’s tournament, and my real point of defense, is how these games operated as additional runway for a handful of teams on the verge. The In-Season Tournament was where we started to see the Pacers flourish and use the breakneck speed that went on to become a critical component of their entirely unique offense. The Pelicans also treated the tournament as something different, approaching the games like an escape from the early season injury woes that derailed them (unfortunately in a very cruel deja vu, we’re seeing the same thing this season). There’s going to be more emerging teams and play styles showing themselves this time around.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Injury Jimmy Butler’s injury status remains uncertain as the Miami Heat prepare to face the Detroit Pistons. The team hopes for a quick recovery. (All U Can Heat)
Preview The Miami Heat take on the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit at 7:00 PM Eastern. Read the preview.(NBA)
Injury The NBA has a ‘missing stars’ problem with injuries piling up faster than normal. (Yahoo! Sports)
Rumor Did Giannis Antetokounmpo’s fake handshake prank launch a new NBA rivalry?
Preview The tiny town and legendary 1980s NBA team that built NBA Draft phenom Cooper Flagg (ESPN)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Monday’s NBA Fantasy Basketball Recap
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center.|Photo by Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Monday’s NBA action featured five games, each packed with performances and injury updates that could reshape your fantasy basketball strategy.
Injury Updates Affecting Lineups
Damian Lillard’s entry into concussion protocol means he’ll miss Tuesday’s game, with a slim chance of returning by Wednesday. This quick turnaround is unusual, so keep an eye on updates. Meanwhile, Gary Trent Jr. is still dealing with back spasms, and despite his fantasy position eligibility, he’s not a point guard, averaging only two assists per game. The Milwaukee Bucks are experimenting with their lineup, with Pat Connaughton and Ryan Rollins as potential backup point guards. Giannis Antetokounmpo can handle point guard duties, but he needs support, especially with Khris Middleton unavailable.
Zion Williamson’s injury update is a blow to fantasy managers. He’s expected to be out for four to six weeks, longer than initially anticipated. If you have an IR spot, hold onto him, but be prepared for a potentially extended absence. Malik Monk’s ankle injury will keep him out for at least two weeks, affecting the Sacramento Kings’ lineup. Kevin Huerter and Keon Ellis could see increased value in the short term.
Game Highlights and Player Performances
The San Antonio Spurs pulled off a surprising 116-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Victor Wembanyama was the standout performer, delivering a stellar 34 points and 14 rebounds, solidifying his status as a top fantasy player. De’Aaron Fox’s assist numbers are concerning, especially with DeMar DeRozan’s arrival affecting his role. DeRozan’s on-court fit with the Kings remains a question mark. Kevin Huerter’s inconsistency continues, and while he had a hot streak, his recent performance was lacklustre. Keegan Murray’s struggles are evident, and I don’t see him breaking into the top 75 players this season.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Heat podcasts.
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Miami Heat’s Defensive Woes + Bam Adebayo’s Offensive Shift: A Double Challenge The Miami Heat’s defense is under scrutiny as they drop from 5th to 14th in defensive rating. With Bam Adebayo adjusting his offensive strategy to align with the team’s new focus on three-pointers and rim shots, the Heat’s dynamics are shifting. Tyler Herro and Pelle Larsson are shining, and there are questions about the Heat’s starting lineup.
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