Winderman’s view: Butler, Adebayo offer glimpses in win of what they need to be (with more needed)

CHARLOTTE — Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night’s 114-106 victory over the Charlotte Hornets:

– Forget the slop that came early and often.

– Forget even the fact that this at times was far tougher than it should have been.

– Against an opponent that was shorthanded.

– And playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

– Instead, consider what happened in the second period with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

– After both were held scoreless in the opening period, it was apparent that enough was enough with each.

– Butler went into attack mode, sparking the Heat, with seven consecutive points in one stretch.

– And Adebayo got back to work in the paint, in his comfort zone, even with his shots not always falling.

– Because that’s who they are.

– Mid-range players.

– And you can stress steals, 3-pointers and other novelties all you want.

– But for Butler and Adebayo to be at their best, they have to be in their sweet spots.

– They got there in the second period and the Heat looked a lot better for it.

– Then it stopped again for Adebayo.

– Which remains a concern.

– (Even though he did have his moments after returning in the fourth.)

– Next up is getting to that more often.

– Because that’s who they are.

– And who the Heat have to be.

– There was a glimpse Saturday.

– There has to be more.

– The Heat again opened with a lineup of Butler, Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier.

– Out were Kevin Love (personal reasons), Kel’el Ware (stomach illness), Josh Richardson (heel) and Josh Christopher (inactive on two-way contract).

– That had two-way player Keshad Johnson active for the Heat after he was inactive in the opener.

– That, in part, was a factor of the Heat being a pair of power players down in Love and Ware.

– The Heat’s third two-way player, point guard Dru Smith, also again was active.

– And played in the initial rotation.

– LaMelo Ball, Seth Curry and Cody Martin all had been listed as questionable earlier in the day but were available for the Hornets.

– Those three started for Charlotte along with Miles Bridges and Nick Richards.

– Out for the Hornets were Brandon Miller, Josh Green, Mark Williams and DaQuan Jeffries.

– Rozier received a video tribute during the game’s first timeout.

– To Rozier, the return to Charlotte was meaningful, but also something to push past.

– “I’m ready to get this over with,” he said with a smile after the morning shootaround.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. played as the Heat’s first reserve.

– Followed by Thomas Bryant, Dru Smith and Duncan Robinson.

– That had Haywood Highsmith out of the initial nine-man mix.

– Smith was called for three fouls in his first three minutes, sending him back to the bench.

– Jaquez then played as backup point guard in place of Smith in the second half.

– Bryant was particularly active and effective in his initial stint.

– But Jovic instead was cast as the backup center in the second half, allowing the Heat to get to more of their perimeter rotation.

– Herro converted a 3-pointer for the 41st consecutive game. His longest career streak is 53 consecutive such games.

– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, going in, on the Hornets, “They have a lot of young talent, a new coach, there’s a new energy.”

– Of where his team had to upgrade after the opening-night loss, Spoelstra said, “It starts with big muscle, physicality.”

– And, of course, more than what the Heat got in the opener out of Butler and Adebayo.

– “Certainly getting Jimmy and Bam activated and involved is a big part of that,” Spoelstra said.

– Hornets coach Charles Lee on the Heat, “They do have such great versatility.”