No one — or mostly no one, as there are some fans that simply go too far — wants NBA players to be injured. But it’s the reality of playing professional sports that injuries will happen and, when they do, teams will be sure to take advantage of it. Recent news has upset the balance of the Eastern Conference and created an opportunity that the Miami Heat can’t afford to waste.
Early Tuesday morning, it was announced that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert would miss a significant amount of time:
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#Cavs G Iman Shumpert suffered rupture Extensor Carpi Ulnaris sheath in right wrist. Will have surgery. Return to play projected 12-14 wks.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 29, 2015
This latest injury is in addition to the amount of time point guard Kyrie Irving and forward Kevin Love will both miss to start the season. Irving’s knees and Love’s shoulder, both injured during last season’s playoffs, will keep the two All-Stars out of the starting lineup for some time.
In Chicago, the news is not as dire but still not good, as guard Derrick Rose will be sidelined to start the season:
Bulls send out release saying Derrick Rose has a left orbital fracture and will have surgery tomorrow.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) September 29, 2015
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Cavs’ star LeBron James recognizes that time waits for no one in the NBA, telling reporters that “it’s next man up,” meaning that Cleveland’s talented roster will have to carry the load in Shumpert’s absence. Similarly, the Bulls had discussed Jimmy Butler handling the ball more often this season and Rose’s injury will likely expedite that new offensive wrinkle.
And so life in the NBA moves on and the Heat must not squander the opportunity to make an early stand in the Eastern Conference.
How do these injuries impact Miami? For starters, the Heat will face Cleveland on Oct. 30 and again on Dec. 5. Shumpert, Irving and Love will definitely miss that first game and it’s possible that the two guards may miss the second meeting as well.
Those are two games against a prime conference rival that are suddenly easier to win, although James and the rest of the roster will still present a challenge (just ask the champion Golden State Warriors).
The Bulls don’t face the Heat for the first time until Jan. 25, the first of four meetings during the season. Rose will be back for this meeting so this doesn’t favor the Heat as much.
Moreover, both Chicago and Cleveland will be somewhat weakened to start the season, creating an opportunity for Miami to establish an early lead in the standings. Coupled with a favorable start to the schedule, the Heat could get a jumpstart against their conference rivals.
But what could be an encouraging start may also be a bit misleading. The Heat play 14 of their first 19 games in the friendly confines of the AmericanAirlines Arena. Following that stretch, however, is a brutal run that could happen alongside Cleveland and Chicago returning to full strength (as per the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman):
"Then, come the second week of January, there essentially is a nuclear winter, 14 of 16 games on the road, including a six-game trip that includes games against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder (a game that comes on the 11th day of the trip, in the trip’s third time zone)."
If injury woes should impact Miami as they did last season, things could unfold very quickly for the Heat and you can be sure that the Cavaliers and Bulls won’t feel the least bit sorry about it.
Injuries are an unfortunate reality in the NBA. But in yin-and-yang balance of all things, they create opportunities as well. For backups like Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich and Cleveland’s J.R. Smith, it’s a chance to prove they can help their respective teams tread water.
And for the Miami Heat, it’s a chance to win games early in the season and often, before things could balance out leaving them looking at their rivals from below in the standings.
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