MIAMI — “We have enough” as in-the-moment motivation not only makes sense, it essentially stands as necessity amid playoff runs. It’s not as if the NBA, like the NFL, allows a team to pick up players amid an injury-riddled playoff run (unless a team becomes totally debilitated).
So Erik Spoelstra offered it as Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier were out of view during the Heat’s first-round playoff loss. Tom Thibodeau had no option but to express something similar as the Knicks fell out of the playoffs amid the absences of Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby and eventually Jalen Brunson. And now there is Rick Carlisle living with the reality of Tyrese Haliburton limping at the likely finish line for his Pacers.
The exception has been Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics, with Kristaps Porzingis being sidelined during the opening round against the Heat and Boston continuing to roll with a roster more than equipped to deal with such an absence.
So this is where it gets tricky, as teams have to decide whether it was injuries or inabilities that ultimately doomed playoff runs.
