Heat’s Yurtseven ‘embracing’ challenging season. Also, the masked Zeller and Lowry update
The good news for Miami Heat second-year center Omer Yurtseven is he feels “100 percent” healthy after recently returning from ankle surgery. The bad news for Yurtseven is that doesn’t guarantee he will be in the Heat’s rotation.
That much has proven to be true since Yurtseven returned in early March after missing the first 65 games of the season because of a preseason left ankle injury that forced him to undergo surgery in November. Yurtseven, 24, entered Tuesday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors with just 37 minutes logged through the first 10 games he has been available for this season despite usual Heat backup center Cody Zeller missing six of those games because of a broken nose.
“It’s not been, I guess, the best,” Yurtseven said regarding the uncertainty currently surrounding his role, with the Heat opening a road back-to-back set Tuesday night against the Raptors before facing the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. “But in terms of the opportunity, it’s there and I think the toughest part has been not knowing and staying ready. But that’s my job right now, so I’m embracing it.”
Heat’s Jimmy Butler ruled out vs. Raptors because of neck injury
But this is not the job Yurtseven expected to have entering his second NBA season, when he spent extended stretches during training camp playing alongside starting center Bam Adebayo as the Heat experimented with a two-big frontcourt. Yurtseven even started alongside Adebayo in the Heat’s preseason opener before he missed the rest of the preseason and the first four months of the regular season because of his ankle injury.
Since making his season debut a few weeks ago, his limited minutes have been uneven, especially on defense. The Heat, which entered Tuesday with an overall defensive rating of 112.9 points allowed per 100 possessions for the season, has given up 128.4 points per 100 possessions in Yurtseven’s time on the court this season.
Those defensive lapses led Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to use 6-5 forward Haywood Highsmith in the Heat’s bench rotation over Yurtseven (6-11, 275 pounds) at times while Zeller was out with his injury. A rough first-quarter stint was enough for Spoelstra to sit Yurtseven for the rest of the game on multiple occasions during the past few weeks.
“Yes, of course I wanted to start and maybe be a rotation player, but start ultimately,” Yurtseven said of his goals entering the season. “And I didn’t see it as a big deal initially once the injury took place. But then when I figured out what it was, I just only had the option of embracing it. Since then and even before then, it’s been about improving. I’m still with that same mindset. Whether it be those three minutes that I play, I’m going to use it to help the team win and I’m going to use it to improve.
“I’ve been maintaining my focus on that no matter what because I’m working and it’s giving me the confidence and the belief and building it up every day more and more. I think that’s been my focus and that starts with those daily improvements.”
With Zeller set to make his return in Tuesday’s game against the Raptors, Yurtseven may again find himself completely out of the rotation. The opportunity was there to play more minutes when Zeller went out earlier this month, but Yurtseven couldn’t take full advantage unlike last season when most of his playing time as a rookie came during a six-week stretch while Adebayo was out because of an injury.
All while the Heat evaluates Yurtseven ahead of his impending free agency.
Yurtseven is set to be a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason, as long as the Heat extends a $2.2 million qualifying offer to him ahead of free agency. As a restricted free agent, the Heat will have the right to match outside offers up to Yurtseven’s maximum salary to re-sign him since it holds his Bird rights despite the fact that Miami is projected to be well above the luxury tax line next season.
“A person that I dearly love and sincerely love who has changed my life since I’ve known him told me, ‘You have four aces. So just think of that. You have four aces in your hand and you’re playing poker. Trust the process. Two of those aces are you’re working your [butt] off, you have the talent,’” Yurtseven said. “Those are the aces. So just remember that whenever I have those tough times and stick to those.”
THE MASKED ZELLER
With Zeller set to make his return Tuesday after missing the previous six games with a broken nose, he will do so with a mask to protect his healing face.
“It’s just kind of uncomfortable,” Zeller said Tuesday morning of playing in a mask. “It kind of traps the heat. It gets sweaty and everything else. But the one that I have is very custom, so you can actually see fairly well out of it. It’s as good as it can be.”
This marks the third broken nose Zeller has suffered. He also wore a mask after breaking his nose in October 2021 as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Obviously, it takes six weeks for a bone to heal,” Zeller said. “So if I just push on it too hard, it will shift back. The mask is meant to kind of keep the pressure on your cheek and your forehead. So we kind of pushed the envelope a little bit. But if I’m anywhere near being able to play, I’m going to play.”
LOWRY UPDATE
The Heat ruled out Jimmy Butler (neck soreness), Jamal Cain (G League), Orlando Robinson (G League) and Nikola Jovic (back spasms) for Tuesday’s game against the Raptors.
Butler, who first appeared on the injury report for Tuesday night’s game that same morning, will miss his first game since sitting out a Jan. 24 win over the Boston Celtics because of lower back tightness. He played in 26 straight games during that span.
Heat point guard Kyle Lowry, who turned 37 on Saturday, was listed as questionable with left knee soreness but will play against the Raptors.
The expectation, though, is Lowry will sit out Wednesday’s matchup against the Knicks in New York on the back end of the back-to-back. Lowry said he has not yet been cleared by doctors to play in both games of a back-to-back after returning in early March from left knee pain that forced him to miss 15 straight games.
“Strong willing has kind of gotten me into the situation I’ve been in right now,” Lowry said after Tuesday’s morning shootaround in Toronto when asked if he’s tempted to overrule doctors at this late stage of the season. “So I’ve got to be smart about this one and with the organization. I think we’ve been on a great page and we’ve been on the same page with everything I’ve been doing, coming off the bench, the minutes and the timing and everything, and just kind of making sure I’m available, and being able to be me when I’m in the game.”
The Heat has one back-to-back remaining on its regular-season schedule on April 6 against the 76ers in Philadelphia and April 7 against Wizards in Washington. Spoelstra said Tuesday the team has not yet decided whether Lowry will also be held out of one of those games.
