Miami Heat guard is expected to miss the rest of the season

For the second straight year, Miami Heat guard Dru Smith suffered a season-ending injury.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Smith will miss the rest of the year with a torn Achilles tendon.

Smith left Monday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets with a lower left leg injury. Teammates Alec Burks and Nikola Jović helped Smith off the field.

Smith had one rebound and one assist in seven minutes Monday night. He did not return from the injury.

“I don’t know the extent of it and I don’t want to dominate until we get the MRI,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “We were all confused for a while.”

Smith, who turns 27 on Dec. 30, is no stranger to rocks in the road. He went undrafted in 2021 and has been released and re-signed four times in three seasons. Miami waived him last March, less than four months after he tore his ACL.

Smith has a two-way contract. He averages career highs in points (6.3), rebounds (2.8) and steals (1.5) per 19.1 minutes.

Before Smith’s injury Monday night, he had played at least 25 minutes in each of Miami’s last seven games. He even started his first game of the year in Saturday’s crushing loss to the Magic.

“We have incredible, deep respect for his journey and what he has to overcome,” Spoelstra said. “I was in the building many times last year when no one else was here and he carried out the extensive treatment and rehab measures around the clock.

“He has incredible strength,” Spoelstra added. “In the end, you fully support people like Dru.”

Jović added: “I just want to say that I love him and that we are all with him and praying for him.”

The Heat return to the court on Thursday against the Magic.

Shandel Richardson is editor of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected]

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