Miami Heat Vs Wizards NBA Game Preview
The Miami Heat are reportedly still not sure when to expect Kyle Lowry’s return. And they’re clearly struggling to adjust without him.
After three straight losses and a drop down the Eastern Conference standings, the Heat are beginning to realise just how vital Lowry has become to a winning NBA lineup.
With Lowry having missed the Heat’s last nine games because of a family matter, and no definite timeline known regarding his return, it remains to be seen whether fans will be seeing him in action when Miami take on the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
Shorthanded Washington
The Wizards squad set to take on the Miami Heat on Feb. 8 will likely be a severely shorthanded one.
While no further information has been issued after Thomas Bryant suffered an ankle sprain early on during Tuesday’s game opposite the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s possible he’ll be out for a couple of games.
Bryant only very recently returned to the Wizards’ line-up after his ACL injury.
Also set to miss the next few games is Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who got injured during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Beal has since the incident been diagnosed with a left-wrist scapholunate ligament injury.
That particular game saw the Wizards defeated 112-98 by the Bucks.
Wizards Have Much On Their Plate
The Wizards are clearly struggling to keep head above water right now. They’ve now lost five straight games and are officially out of their former Playoffs position.
This is in stark contrast to how they started their season at 10-3. After a net rating of +5.4 and a ninth place in defense in the league, they’ve now plummeted all the way down to 26th in defense and the fourth-worst net rating in the NBA.
Their biggest issues have been trying to avoid getting absolutely gashed in the paint and defending their perimeters.
With an offense not nearly good enough to overcome the gaping holes in their defense, they’re not likely to achieve much of anything for the remainder of the season.
While Beale’s shooting struggles are likely to have an expiry date at some point, the same can’t be said for Spencer Dinwiddie. Having missed nearly all of last NBA season, he’s yet to settle fully into his new team.
The real problem lies at the opposite side of the argument: the longer it takes for Dinwiddie to find his niche with the Wizards, the worse things could get for his team’s offense.