One clear Miami Heat defensive move, the lineup answer without Wiggins and more Heat-Bulls keys
The NBA cup continues on Friday night, as the Heat look to move to 2-1 in their bracket in Chicago against the Bulls.
The Heat’s injury report got a new addition, since while Tyler Herro and Nikola Jovic remain out again tonight, Andrew Wiggins is also sitting out which leaves Miami a little thin on the wings.
The Bulls have pushed their way to an 8-6 record early in the season, so at least another undermanned team that can catch them by surprise isn’t lined up on the other side.
But let’s get into some keys to this Friday night match-up:
1. Who rounds out the starting lineup?
Oct 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra signals from the sideline against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
There isn’t a clear answer for who subs in for the injured Andrew Wiggins in the starting lineup tonight. Going big with Kel’el Ware again is always an option, but there are some definite cons to this move. For one, the Heat would be left without any size off the bench, especially with Jovic out as well. Yes they can stagger, but it creates some stress for the coaches to manage that. The Bulls are also a team that doesn’t play extremely big to start games, so you have the ability to go smaller. Jaime Jaquez Jr is an obvious option, yet Spo doesn’t usually like to mess with things off the bench that already have such a flow in their role. Could they go off the board to a spot starter with somebody like Keshad Johnson? It wouldn’t shock me, but Ware seems like the most likely option at the moment.
2. Defensive approach against Josh Giddey.
Apr 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware (7) defends Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) during the first quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
The Heat and Bulls have been in their fair share of battles, both regular season and play-in. Josh Giddey has been at the center of most of those recent match-ups, as he’s a player that’s interesting to scout for. Averaging a near triple double, there’s an area of his game to try and eliminate if you’re the Heat: his play-making. If his scoring pops on a night like this, you just have to live with it since guarding him one-on-one is the overarching plan. There shouldn’t be much help being sent on his drives, since once they unlock that drive and kick game, it’s when that Chicago offense catches its flow. If you force this offense to play one-on-one basketball consistently, the Heat will be in good shape.
3. A Miami Heat scoring bounce back performance.
Nov 17, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
That last win against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday wasn’t pretty. It was sloppy, the offense wasn’t totally connected, and they got away from their game. That leaves them in a perfect spot for a bounce back against this Bulls defense. Their last three games have included giving up 121 points to the Blazers, 127 points to the Nuggets, and 150 points to the Jazz which included a near 50 ball for Lauri Markkanen. The point is that Miami should be able to find their scoring flow once again. Norman Powell always seems to find his spots, but Nikola Vucevic in that drop should open up his three ball more than the driving game. Bam Adebayo should see more drives and paint points as he tries to fill that Wiggins void as well. As Erik Spoelstra noted recently, move the ball, work that second side of the floor, and play a smarter brand of their offense.
