Miami Heat DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (illness) is probable for Friday's tilt versus the Portland Trail Blazers. Butler was expected to play through his illness in Tuesday's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers before being surprisingly ruled out, but the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang also reports the 34-year-old two-way superstar was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. Over 13 games since the All-Star Break, Butler is collecting a strong 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 three-pointers per contest. His return for the Heat would send first-round rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. to Miami's bench, and Butler would be a must-start season-long fantasy option in a soft matchup with the 19-54 Blazers on Friday.

New York Knicks guard/forward Alec Burks (shoulder) will miss a second consecutive game on Wednesday versus Toronto. There was initially hope of him returning when the team listed him as questionable for the game, but Burks has now been downgraded to out. Burks' absence leaves the Knicks without a good scoring option off the bench. He's averaged around 15 minutes a night in the Big Apple, and Bojan Bogdanovic will have a chance to get some extra action off the Knicks bench without Burks.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (illness) missed shootaround on Tuesday morning, but he's probable to play versus the Golden State Warriors. Dealing with a non-COVID illness, Butler is still expected to play in a good spot against a Warriors defense giving up the ninth-most DraftKings points to opposing small forwards. Across 13 appearances since the All-Star Break, the 34-year-old two-way superstar is pouring in 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.7 swipes, and 0.9 three-pointers per contest. With Tyler Herro (foot) still on the shelf, Butler will continue absorbing additional usage and playmaking responsibilities and remains a set-and-forget fantasy option across all formats.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (foot) will miss a 15th consecutive game on Tuesday versus the Warriors. Miami's young star has missed a month of action with a right foot injury and doesn't have a clear return date, but Herro is expected to undergo a re-evaluation soon. With Duncan Robinson also out, Patty Mills has landed a job as a starter in the Heat backcourt, averaging 8.0 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in the role. He hasn't done a lot but could be more productive on Tuesday in a pace-up spot for Miami.

Miami Heat forward/center Kevin Love (heel) is nearing a return and has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's matchup against the Warriors. The veteran has missed 13 games on the bounce with a right heel injury, last appearing for Miami on Feb. 27. Love will likely push Thomas Bryant near the end of the bench again, and Nikola Jovic and Haywood Highsmith might also lose a few minutes. The five-time All-Star doesn't play a lot these days, but Love has been effective when on the court, averaging 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 17.5 minutes.