What Heat’s Erik Spoelstra expects with Thursday’s All-Star announcement. And Heat notes

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday that he expects Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler will be named All-Stars when the full rosters are announced Thursday night on TNT.

Neither Heat player was named a starter last week in voting among fans (who made up 50 percent of the vote), players (25 percent) and a media panel (25 percent).

Head coaches determine the seven reserves on each team; their voting was conducted last week.

“I think they’ll both make it,” Spoelstra said of Butler and Adebayo, after the team’s morning shootaround at Rocket Mortgage Arena. “The coaches vote on that, and I think they’re recognized, both those guys, how much they impact winning. We’ve talked at length about Jimmy, but Bam is deserving. You can’t tell me he’s not one of the top whatever number of players in this game and definitely deserving of being an All-Star.”

Because of the All-Star coach voting rules that require coaches to select three frontcourt players, two guards, and two additional players regardless of position, Spoelstra said: “It would almost be easier voting Bam for All-NBA. You can definitely make the case he’s a top three center. There’s clarity on that, playing at an All-NBA level. It gets a little trickier with voting for All-Stars.”

Adebayo said he believes he’s worthy of an invitation to the Feb. 19 game in Salt Lake City because of “my body of work. I feel like everyone has seen my huge jump offensively. It’s been one of those things where it has been 1,000 hours, 10,000 hours, getting the reps in.”

Among East frontcourt players, Butler was fifth in the fan vote, seventh in the player vote and received no media votes, while Adebayo finished 11th in the fan vote, fifth in the player vote and also did not get any media votes.

Adabayo — an All-Star once in 2020 — is fourth among all centers in points per game (21.4), eighth in rebounds (10.0) and sixth in assists (3.2). He’s considered among the game’s best and most versatile defenders.

Butler — a six-time All Star — is fourth in the league among small forwards in scoring (21.9), sixth in rebounding (6.1), third in assists (4.9), first in steals (2.1) and seventh in free-throw percentage (84.7).

Because the Heat stands sixth in the East, should only one Heat player make it or do coaches respect both of them enough for both Adebayo and Butler to make it?

“I don’t know,” Adebayo said. “I think we’re both respected. We average the same.”

The Eastern Conference starters are Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant and Boston’s Jayson Tatum.

Besides Adebayo and Butler, other Eastern Conference frontcourt players with a strong case to make the team as reserves include Joel Embiid (seemingly a lock), Pascal Siakam, Julius Randle and Demar DeRozan (who’s listed as a guard but plays forward).

The two rosters for the All-Star Game will be drafted by Antetokounmpo and LeBron James; they received the most fan votes in his respective conference. They will choose from the pool of players voted in as starters and reserves regardless of conference affiliation. For the first time, the All-Star draft will take place right before the All-Star Game, about 30 minutes before tipoff.

Butler was the only player to represent the Heat in last season’s All-Star Game, getting in as an East reserve.

THIS AND THAT

▪ The Heat says Jimmy Butler - who was listed as questionable with a quad contusion - will be available Tuesday against Cleveland. Gabe Vincent (ankle inflammation) is questionable but said he intends to play.

▪ Mitchell, acquired by Cleveland from Utah during the summer, leads all shooting guards in scoring at 27.9, which is 10th in the league. Tyler Herro said he never sought or received clarity from the Heat about whether he was offered to Utah in trade talks for Mitchell.

“I was curious; I didn’t ask,” he said when asked if he asked if the Heat if he was involved in those trade talks. “I’m sure I was.”

The Heat had interest in Mitchell, but Miami lacked the draft assets that were part of Cleveland’s bid, assets that Utah coveted. Herro said he suspected his name was mentioned in those discussions but that he will never know if he was offered to Utah. Mitchell never expressed any interest in pushing his way to the Heat and was happy with the deal to Cleveland.

▪ Caleb Martin conceded, in recent days, that his quadriceps injury continues to affect him.

With this particular injury, how tough is it to be an energy player who relies on athleticism? “It’s tough. It’s challenging mentally. You hang heavy on that part of your game, especially for my role. It’s a battle mentally.

“Sometimes it bleeds into my play in terms of staying confident. Sometimes, you’ve got to muster that up mentally and get past that.”

Asked if it’s a pain issue or impacting his mobility, Martin said: “Definitely both. Mobility wise, it’s tough getting that extra push around guys, getting that first quick step to not even worry about the guy closing out. I’m getting stuck on bodies more than I’m used to. Just trying to adjust being a tad bit slower right now.”

▪ Count Adebayo among those excited to see Omer Yurtseven’s impending return. Yurtseven hasn’t played all season because of ankle surgery but has been cleared by doctors to resume contact work and hopes to play in games shortly after the All-Star break.

“It will be great just to have another 7-foot guy out there with us,” Adebayo said. “We have seen some big games from O. Double-doubles, big shots, big blocks. He’s one of those guys that creates friction in the paint.”

The Heat played Adebayo and Yurtseven a lot together early in the training camp, but Spoelstra declined to speculate whether he might go back to that lineup during stretches.

“It will be good to get out there and get a recollection of it,” Adebayo said of playing minutes alongside Yurtseven. “Start to see what it feels like again.”

Here’s my Tuesday piece with an in-depth explanation of the very difficult predicament the Heat finds itself with its roster now and for the next year, from a talent and tax standpoint.