Heat’s Marcus Garrett again out with wrist injury; Jimmy Butler sees if Jamal Cain is able

For the second consecutive season the Miami Heat have lost guard Marcus Garrett to a wrist injury, this time a fracture that has him in a cast and out at least four weeks.

Last season, when the defensive-minded undrafted guard out of Kansas injured the wrist he subsequently was released in January from his two-way contract, with surgery following.

Garrett rehabbed at FTX Arena last season, returned to the Heat at summer league, and then was issued one of the team’s two-way contracts, with Jamal Cain this past week receiving the other.

Now the question becomes whether the Heat again will put their Garrett agreement on hold. Last season, Garrett’s two-way contract first went to Kyle Guy and then Mychal Mulder, who this week rejoined the team on a tryout contract.

“You really do feel for him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said after Monday’s practice. “He’s had such a tremendous summer. He’s really been diligent with first of all getting his wrist healthy and then preparing him for summer league. He had some great moments, and then August and September have just been outstanding.”

Garrett, though, had struggled during his four preseason appearances, at 6 of 23 from the field and 0 for 8 on 3-pointers, with seven assists, five steals and four turnovers, outplayed by longshot backcourt candidate Dru Smith.

“We’ll take care of that with him and get him healthy,” Spoelstra said of Garrett’s latest injury. “This is the journey for young players sometimes. Sometimes you just can’t predict it. Sometimes it doesn’t go how you want it to. But he has that perseverance and grit to get healthy and get back at it.”

Still, Spoelstra demurred when asked if Garrett will be with the team after this weekend’s mandatory NBA cutdown.

“I don’t even know yet,” Spoelstra said. “Right now, let’s have some empathy for the guy. We’re not making any business decisions right now. It’s more about what can we do for Marcus to get him healthy?”

The Butler test

Forward Jimmy Butler finished practice with an aggressive one-on-one session against Cain, who also attended Marquette, before closing his collegiate career at Oakland University.

“Not too many people can beat me one-on-one. He damn sure can’t do it,” Butler said with a smile. “Some people have an opportunity. But one-one-one, like get a bucket, get a stop? That’s what I do.”

Still, Butler said the respect Cain has earned during the preseason has been earned.

“Without a doubt,” he said. “He’s been playing incredibly well right now. He’s trying to prove his worth in this league, which I think he’s an NBA player. He rebounds. He guards. He’s actually shooting the ball incredibly well right now, and he listens.

“I think that’s the biggest thing to do whenever you’re coming into a team with vets and even younger guys, you’ve got to be able to learn and play that role. He’s doing that greatly.”

Dress rehearsal?

While center Bam Adebayo was given Tuesday off for rest, and while center Omer Yurtseven remains sidelined with ankle soreness, the Heat are still positioned for a dress rehearsal in Wednesday night’s preseason finale against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.

Spoelstra, though, downplayed such a need, citing the behind-the-scenes work at practice.

“We’ll get an injury status report and we’ll go from there,” he said. “I feel like we’ve had a bunch of dress rehearsals. But I guess you haven’t seen them.”

Butler agreed.

“Nah. I mean practice is another way of a dress rehearsal. We’re all here getting at it every day,” he said. “Whenever you get in the game, I think that’s the easy part. You just need to maintain your conditioning, and then make sure you’re in a rhythm. I think everybody’s gonna be that.

“Whenever you put five really good basketball players out there and then the role players we have coming off the bench, we’re gonna figure it out.”