ASK IRA: Should hopes be tempered with Heat’s Victor Oladipo?

Q: And now Victor Oladipo has back spasms. When will the Heat learn that once injured always injured? — Fred.

A: So you’re going to write off a player who spent a year pushing his way back from quadriceps surgery because he woke up Friday with a bad back? This wasn’t Victor Oladipo going down in a heap after a dunk, as was the case with last season Heat cameo. Now, those who were envisioning Victor as getting back to a 30-minute player and possibly cracking the starting lineup, that probably was pie in the sky, anyway. If Victor Oladipo can help in the playoffs, all the better. But it never was a case of the train waiting for him to jump aboard and get comfortable. The rest of the Heat rotation was on too much of a roll to stop for anybody, Victor included. And that also is something he always knew.

Q: Good to rest Jimmy Butler. We can use him for the Sixers. — T.H.B.

A: While the opposition Friday and the upcoming opposition well could have factored into the decision to hold out Jimmy Butler on Friday night against the visiting Thunder due to his sprained right ankle, the schedule might have played just as much of a factor. By sitting Jimmy on Friday night, it meant a five-day break in competition between Tuesday night’s victory over the Pistons and Monday’s game in Philadelphia. But if he isn’t right by then, then he likely will continue to sit. The 76ers game is important but not as significant as a playoff game.

Q: With the exception of Jimmy Butler in for Gabe Vincent, I think we just saw a glimpse of the nine-man rotation for the playoffs. Erik Spoelstra has always preferred to go small. Unless we play a dominant big in the playoffs, we will play small ball. — Victor, Bethlehem, Pa.

A: But that still doesn’t account for Victor Oladipo. And I’m not sure that Erik Spoelstra is willing to go 10 deep. Plus, against bigger big men who can get Bam Adebayo into foul trouble, you still are going to need a true center in reserve for the likes of a Joel Embiid. But, sure, there is nothing wrong with a first nine of Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker, Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry starting, and then Tyler Herro, Markieff Morris, Caleb Martin and Max Strus off the bench.

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Source: Berkshire mont