Another Heat star now saddled with injury, in never-ending story

There will never be a time, it seems, when the Miami Heat are whole.

Already reeling after losing eight of nine going into Christmas, and now square at 15-15 on the season, squarely in Play-in territory (again!), the Heat will be without one key starter again Friday in Atlanta, and may be without another.

Tyler Herro, who has played only six games this season, missing 17 due to offseason ankle surgery and now missing several more due to a toe injury, will not play again against the Hawks. And now, Bam Adebayo has been added to the injury report with back soreness.

Bam Adebayo listed as questionable for tomorrow's game in Atlanta with lower back soreness.

Keshad Johnson (head illness) also questionable.

Tyler Herro, Vlad Goldin, Terry Rozier and Jahmir Young out.

The good news: Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson upgraded to probable.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) December 25, 2025

Adebayo's back problem is not from carrying too great an offensive load. The Heat captain has been in a prolonged slump, and is now shooting his worst percentages in six seasons, marking what would be a sixth straight season of declines.

If he is out, that means Andrew Wiggins likely slides in at the power forward spot next to Kel'el Ware, and maybe Pelle Larsson gets back in the lineup. That was one of the two positives on the report: Larsson has been upgraded to probable. His scrappiness and connectivity has been missed.

Not a savior, but maybe some help

There was another surprise on the report, but it's tough to know whether this will have much impact.

Nikola Jovic, who signed a contract extension before the season but then struggled so much with the new offense and with his confidence that he slipped from starter to benchwarmer, is now probable not too long after taking a nasty spill and hurting his elbow. The jovial Jovic has been the biggest disappointment of the season, other than perhaps Herro's unavailablity following a season in which the guard played 77 games.

Adebayo's absence actually might clear some minutes for Jovic, who will be needed going forward for his versatility offensively, but who can't really be counted on consistently at this stage. If he could shake out of the slump, even a little, then Miami might be able to shelve Simone Fontecchio for a bit -- the veteran has been way off with his shot for the past month-plus after a hot start. Keshad Johnson also might miss Friday's game with an illness, sapping the frontcourt depth further.

At this point, what seemed like a deep team to start the season has looked increasingly thin of late, as Herro heals (again) and now Adebayo seems to need a breather.