The Miami Heat have cooled off a bit, going 6-4 in their last 10 games after a hot start. Still, the team sits third in the Eastern Conference at 13-8. After an offseason that saw them add Kyle Lowry to bolster their hopes of returning to title contention, the early portion of the season has provided plenty of reason for optimism.
However, as is the case with a few teams so far, injuries and illnesses have forced some key players out of the lineup in Miami, most notably Jimmy Butler who has missed four games and is dealing with a tailbone injury currently. On Wednesday, the Heat announced another key starter will be out for some time as Bam Adebayo will have surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb suffered in Monday’s loss to the Nuggets.
INJURY UPDATE: Bam Adebayo suffered a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his right thumb during Monday's game vs Denver and will undergo surgery this weekend.
A timetable on his return will be provided post-surgery.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 1, 2021
While there won’t be a timetable for his return set until after he has surgery, the expectation is a 4-6 week absence, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN Sources: The expected timeline on a return for Miami's Bam Adebayo with looming thumb surgery: four-to-six weeks.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 1, 2021
For a Miami team without a lot of frontcourt depth beyond Adebayo, particularly in terms of replacing what he does for them as a defensive unit, that is a significant absence. Dewayne Dedmon is dealing with a knee injury of his own that has him listed as questionable for Wednesday night’s game against the Cavs, and an increase in small-ball lineups with PJ Tucker at the five could be in order for a banged up Miami team.
