Miami Heat have been one of the unluckiest teams in the NBA when it comes to injuries. Whether it's just an injury that keeps a player sidelined for a week or for an entire season, the Heat have had their fair share of them, and it seems that things won't be getting better for the team anytime soon. Today, it was announced that Rodney Mcgruder will have to be sidelined for an extended period due to an injury.
Last season, the Heat couldn't count on Chris Bosh due to his health issues. Bosh was on the payroll and Miami couldn't just cut him from the roster, yet he wasn't able to play as he failed the physical.
Later on, Miami lost Justise Winslow due to a season-ending injury and they couldn't count on Josh McRoberts either. Even though they managed to get on a 13-game win streak and become one of the best teams in the league, they suffered a few bad losses as Dion Waiters had to be sidelined for a few weeks and Josh Richardson also had injury problems.
At the end, the Miami Heat managed to end the season with a .500 record, but there is no doubt they would have been much better if it wasn't for all the injuries they had to go through.
Another devastating injury
Miami just can't catch a break when it comes to player injuries. Unfortunately, it seems that this upcoming season won't be any different as they won't be able to count on Rodney McGruder.
The season opener is just around the corner, but the Heat won't have their roster ready for it. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, the guard will most likely undergo a surgery on his leg and could miss from three to six months.
Miami guard Rodney McGruder will likely undergo surgery on a stress fracture in his leg, miss 3-6 months, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 12, 2017
Miami Heat released some details regarding the injury, saying there is no timetable for McGruder's return.
"Initial exam is a stress fracture of his left tibia, but he is still being evaluated. Any timetable is premature. Will let you know when we have more information," the Heat said.
McGruder appeared in 78 games last season, more than any other Heat player. He started in 65 of those games and he averaged 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
He shot 41.3 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from the long range. While his stats are far from impressive, the truth is that the 6-foot-4 guard did a lot of things that can't be seen in the boxscore. He is one of the hardest-working players and his on-court effort has earned him "The Scavenger" nickname.
Season opener
Miami Heat will open their regular season on October 18 against the Orlando Magic. They have one more preseason game before they take a five-day break and prepare for the regular season and the game against their division rival.