標籤: Wiggins

The Miami Heat suffered a tough 123-122 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, as the team looks to end its four-game losing streak against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. As fans wait for some injury updates for the Heat ahead of their clash against the Spurs, stars like Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have received big news.

Starting with Wiggins, he has been upgraded to “probable” for Monday night’s game against the Spurs with a “left big toe”;
Sesamoiditis,” as he missed the last eight games.

Wiggins has been a mainstay in the starting lineup, serving as an impressive two-way player, as he is currently averaging 15.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. The veteran forward has been productive since being traded to the Golden State Warriors in the Jimmy Butler deal and is working well with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.

Summer injury update on Jaime Jacquez Jr., Norman Powell

While Wiggins is likely to return Monday, the same can be said for Jaquez, who has missed the last two games due to “left hip tightness” and is “probable” for Monday vs. the Spurs. Jacquez’s presence as the Heat’s first player off the bench has been overlooked because of how well he has come back from his sophomore slump, putting his name in Sixth Man of the Year talks.

So far this season, Jacquez has averaged 15 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field. Wiggins and Jacquez are most likely to return, with Norman Powell’s status up in the air after missing from the Rockets due to “left calf tightness.”

Powell came off the bench in last Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, potentially showcasing a new direction for the first-time All-Star. The Heat are looking to bounce back from the loss to Houston thanks to the return of Amen Thompson, though it won’t be easy with Wembanyama and San Antonio in town on Monday.

MIAMI – The Miami Heat are trying to make a playoff run with 12 games left in the season after Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, with the team still dealing with injuries to key players like Jaime Jacquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins. As the Heat prepare for the matchup to end the season, head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke on the updates he has for both impact players as the team looks to solidify their spot in the Eastern Conference.

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra provides update on Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jacquez Jr.

Starting with Wiggins, facing the Lakers on Thursday marks the seventh consecutive contest the veteran forward has missed as he deals with an injury listed as “Left Big Toe; Sesamoiditis.” Wiggins is a mainstay in Miami’s starting lineup, providing the team with a consistent two-way effort that works well offensively with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others.

This season, Wiggins is averaging 15.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field. In his absence, Spoelstra would say the team is “encouraged” by Wiggins’ recovery process.

“He’s making progress, he’s not ready to go tonight. He’s still got a ways to go, but we’re encouraged by the progress he’s made over the last few days,” Spoelstra said before the Heat took on the Lakers.

As for Jaquez, he will be listed for Thursday’s game due to “left hip tightness,” a problem sustained during Tuesday’s 136-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets in Miami. His importance cannot be underestimated as Jacquez has been one of the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 15 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field.

Spoelstra would say he’ll be labeled “day-to-day.”

“It happened in the game, but he’s already had a lot of treatment. He’s starting to feel better. So take it day by day,” Spoelstra said.

Erik Spoelstra speaks on the injuries to Jaime Jacquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins, who are both out.

Jaime’s hip problem remained in Tuesday’s game, “day-to-day.”

Spoe ‘encouraged’ by Wiggins’ recovery from toe injury. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/fatxq1ROvJ

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 March 2026

Erik Spoelstra on “big test” for the Heat

While the Heat absolutely want to see how well they can operate before the postseason, the team may not get enough time to see what a fully healthy Miami team looks like. Since there will be 12 games after the Lakers contest, it cannot be said for sure when Wiggins will return with Jacquez, making it difficult to evaluate the team.

Either way, Spoelstra told ClutchPoints that the “big test” is overcoming the home stretch of the season against other teams that have similar goals.

“I mean, the big test is, you know, how we raise our game and spirit and level of competition against teams that are playing for something, at least in our near future,” Spoelstra said. “And, you know, that’s when people say they’ve always wanted that, and now we have it. But we always say it’s just for the competitors, and other teams, you know, competing and bringing their best game. So it’s just a matter of facing that level of competition and finding a way to get to another level.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked if these final 13 games of the season will show how this team can really work or whether injuries are keeping it from getting a look: #HeatNation

“The big test is how we raise our game, spirit and level of competition…” pic.twitter.com/LRfHe3QmZh

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 March 2026

At any rate, Miami looks to take the remaining games remaining in the regular season and accomplish the goal they are striving for, which is to avoid the play-in tournament. After being in the tournament for the last three seasons and finishing as the eighth seed, the Heat are looking to move up to at least sixth place.

Entering Thursday against the Lakers, Miami is 38-31, in seventh place in the East, just a half-game behind the Orlando Magic, who hold the coveted sixth spot.

MIAMI – After the Miami Heat picked up a big win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, the team prepares for four more games at home against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. As the Heat look to pick up a satisfying win over the Hornets, the team will likely have to do so without stars like Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell.

Looking at Wiggins, he was playing through knee tendinitis but is now dealing with left foot inflammation, which is the real reason he is missing Sunday’s game against the Pistons. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra will speak on how “debilitating” a toe injury can be to a player, as the team has seen stars like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro miss time due to toe problems.

“I don’t want to say this because it’s not like that, but when athletes get turf toe, it’s a debilitating injury. Wiggs doesn’t have that,” Spoelstra said before Sunday’s contest against Detroit. “But we’ll just treat him. Every injury is different. So he’s dealing with both things right now, we think we can fix it in the short term, and we’ll just see. He’s getting a lot of treatment, so it’s definitely helping, and he’s making some progress, but let me be clear, he does not have turf toe. I was trying to make a point about the importance of the toe or how debilitating it can be.”

Erik Spoelstra talks about Andrew Wiggins’ toe injury and how debilitating it can be, emphasizing that it is not turf toe.

When asked what the Heat are missing with Wiggins off the field, how he deserves more attention, and what Myron Gardner has done with the starters: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/wY22pnrq1t

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 8 March 2026

While Wiggins is an important part of the starting lineup, so is Powell, who has missed the last four games due to a groin strain and was initially labeled as “week-to-week” by the team. With an unknown timeline for the team’s leading scorer, Spoelstra would say Powell is “definitely capable of doing more.”

“So again, I think we locked him down at a responsible time to be able to try to fast-track it. But I don’t have any updates on this timeline, but he’s definitely doing more,” Spoelstra said.

Erik Spoelstra doesn’t have a timeline for Norman Powell or Simon Fontecchio.

Although Powell says he is capable of doing more: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/gxWhcMAtlx

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 8 March 2026

Major stars missing from standouts who bring energy in the form of heat

While the Heat are dealing with injuries to Wiggins, Powell and others, the team has players who can step up and try to fill the void. Myron Gardner started in Friday’s win over the Hornets and played well in adding energy in the absence of key players.

Spoelstra would explain to ClutchPoints how Wiggins is “quietly” one of the better two-way players in the NBA, and though they’re not asking Gardner to fill the shoes, he fits in well with the starters.

“Wiggins is one of the most underrated two-way players in the association,” Spoelstra said. Wiggins is averaging 15.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from deep. “He’s doing some really impressive things for us defensively, guarding one through five and making all the big, high-usage player challenges. He’s doing it quietly, for some reason, I don’t know why people aren’t recognizing it, and then offensively, you know, he just fits into our system. You know, he can really score in transition. If you sleep on him, he can easily put a 30 on you. That’s why he missed.”

“But Myron has given us a lot of impactful minutes throughout the season,” Spoelstra continued. “You know, we’re not expecting him to fill Wiggs’ spot. It’s not his responsibility, but he can do the job that he’s doing, which is extremely active on both sides of the floor, great rebounder, and he just comes in with the kind of effort and energy that helps any lineup – Spo if Wiggs and Gardner are the starter.”

With Gardner recently upgraded from a two-way to a standard contract, he and others look to help Miami until Wiggin and Powell return.

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently preparing for the unofficial second half of their season following the All-Star Game over the weekend. The Lakers are currently in a solid position in the Western Conference playoff picture, but are just two games above the play-in line, meaning things could get dangerous down the road.

Los Angeles had a relatively quiet trade deadline, trading Gabe Vincent to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for sharpshooter Luke Kennard, but did little to address his lack of defensive versatility.

Now, some people are already looking forward to the summer, when many three-and-D free agents will be on the market.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, an Eastern Conference executive said, “They need to bring in more defenders with length who can knock down a shot.”

“Unrestricted free agents who have been discussed internally, sources told ESPN, include Andrew Wiggins and Tari Eason, while Tobias Harris, Quentin Grimes and Dean Wade are other players who fit that profile,” McMenamin reported.

McMenamin also said that “the Lakers also privately discussed the signing of restricted free agent Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets.”

At this point, all indications are that the Nuggets plan to bring Watson back after his breakout campaign this season, although Denver ownership has a history of letting prized free agents walk out the door due to an unwillingness to go to some tax apron.

Last year, the Lakers had a solid two-way player in Dorian Finney-Smith, but he joined the Houston Rockets in free agency over the summer.

Currently, there is not a single player on the Lakers roster who is above average on either end of the floor, and many expect the problem to be exposed come playoff time, as it was last year.

The Lakers’ season continues on Friday evening against the Los Angeles Clippers.