The Heat don't tend to always tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, about injuries.

Countless times over the years, a player whose ailment was never mentioned, or was consistently downplayed, ends up under anesthesia as soon as the season ends. Quentin Richardson, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers... the list goes on.

So it's natural to be skeptical about Hassan Whiteside's calf issue, especially as day-to-day has become week-to-week. Still, there are good signs. Whiteside has not been incapacitated by the issue; he's continued to do strength and conditioning work. And he said himself, prior to Sunday's preseason opener, that he expected to return before the regular season, and get into at least a couple of preseason games.

If he doesn't, then it's a worry, because he's so much more necessity than novelty this season, especially on the defensive end, and Miami needs to get off to a strong start with a home-tilted early schedule.

But, provided he can get a week or two of competitive collaboration with the starting lineup, the Heat will consider themselves more fortunate than many of their rivals. The Cavaliers, for instance, sat their top seven players against Philadelphia on Thursday night, some (such as LeBron James) just for rest, but others because of ongoing rehab (Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert) or contract holdout (Tristan Thompson).

The Cavaliers may have more overall talent, but the odds are still pretty good that Miami will more of its core players available when the teams face each other for the first time this season, Oct. 30 in Cleveland.