Winderman’s view: In Heat loss, 76ers’ Edgecombe a reminder of the occasional dip into lottery waters

Observations and other notes of interest from Thursday night’s 124-117 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers:

– This was the lesson the Heat will not heed.

– Dealing with injuries, the 76ers took a gap year last season.

– After winning at least 47 games the previous four seasons, they stepped back to 24-58.

– As in 13th in the East.

– As in positioned well enough to land the No. 3 pick in the lottery.

– As in able to land VJ Edgecombe.

– As in the No. 3 rookie scorer.

– As in the NBA rookie leader in steals.

– Yes, Tyrese Maxey is the engine and Joel Embiid is the size.

– But Edgecombe has shown, including Thursday night, how much that elite talent can make a difference.

– As in lottery talent.

– Going in, even before Edgecombe sparked the 76ers in the second quarter to a 16-point halftime lead, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had ample praise.

– “The athleticism jumps off the screen for sure, and he has potential to be a very good two-way basketball player,” Spoelstra said. “I think the fans and everybody knows the highlight plays that he makes offensively, but he has very good feet and quickness defensively, and quick hands and ability to get in passing lanes.  The style defensively that they play with Nick Nurse, it just fits what he does.”

– Or you could push for the play-in every year.

– Refuse to step back to step ahead.

– VJ Edgecombe was the reminder Thursday.

– Spoelstra was asked before the game about the play-in/playoff race.

– “It’s the best time of year right now, when you start to see the playoff seeding,” he said. “I want our guys shooting for a better spot than where we are right now. We don’t have to overwhelm ourselves with it, but it gives us something to wrap our minds around and compete for every night.”

– With Norman Powell (groin) and Davion Mitchell (illness) cleared an hour before tip off, the Heat again went with a starting lineup of Powell, Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Pelle Larsson. That lineup entered 5-3.

– The game was the 350th regular-season appearance of Mitchell’s career.

– Powell then was lost for the night with that groin issue in the second period.

– The 76ers opened with a lineup of Embiid, Maxey, Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dominick Barlow.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. was first off the Heat bench.

– Kel’el Ware and Tyler Herro then entered together.

– With Kasparas Jakucionis making it nine deep.

– Simone Fontecchio then returned to the rotation, briefly, entering midway through the second period.

– Spoelstra laughed pregame when asked about the difference when Embiid plays for the 76ers, as he did Thursday night.

– “Really? I mean, it’s pretty obvious,” he said. “Like they jump up to first in the league in free-throw attempts. They have a very good balance of controlling pace, and he’s one of the best in the game that can control the pace, get it on their terms, But then they also have all their speed perimeter players. Maxey is second in the league in fast break points, so you have to deal with both those things.”

– As far as not finding out formally until the game that Embiid was in, Spoelstra said of the ever-changing lineups in the NBA, “That’s every night. That’s the way the league is now. I think everybody’s gotten a lot more accustomed to that. You have a couple of different, probably two or three, you know, different lineups and rotations and matchups.”

– The Heat entered well aware of the upgraded challenge of the 76ers when Embiid is in the lineup.

– “You got to make that adjustment, because sometimes it’s a Maxey possession and sometimes an Embiid possession and then Edgecombe, too, that can attack off a close out,” Larsson said.

– “You’re fairly different with what Maxey and Edgecombe can do, so they bounce between the two styles,” Spoelstra said.

– Going in, Spoelstra addressed recent Heat defensive lapses.

– “That’s what’s disappointing,” he said. “We have a higher level that we can get to, that’s as high as anybody in this league, really on both sides of the floor.  It’s a matter of doing it consistently.”

– He added, “Our defense is built and versatile enough to make it disruptive against anyone.”

– With his second rebound, Jaquez reached a career best season total.