This is not the close to the regular season that Victor Oladipo envisioned, shuffled out of the rotation as the Miami Heat prepare for the playoffs.

But having fought just to make it back last month from May quadriceps surgery, Oladipo said it is not as if he is backing off now.

“It just is what it is,” Oladipo told the South Florida Sun Sentinel of coach Erik Spoelstra tightening his rotation to those who have been available the majority of the season, an approach that also has moved Markieff Morris to the side. “At the end of the day, it’s bigger than me.

“So I just got to continue to keep getting strong, keep doing what I can, to stay ready.”

With practice time limited as Spoelstra remains mindful of the team’s older veterans, the opportunities to work at NBA speed has been reduced for Oladipo.

“There’s nothing that can replicate it, really,” Oladipo said of five-on-five work, with the Heat taking on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at the United Center. “I just got to do my best to do whatever I can.”

When Morris was poised for his return, he found fullcourt action at the Miami-area gym of skills trainer Stanley Remy.

Oladipo said he is not in a position to chase games.

“I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll see.”

Asked if he could find such action, he smiled, and as he walked away said, “If you got any recommendations or anyone does, just let me know.”

To Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the priority is utilizing the remaining regular season games for his newly revised core.

“They’ve had enough practice reps, style-of-play reps to understand how we want to play,” Spoelstra said of the group. “I don’t have to give it much more of an analysis. This is just what we’re going with right now, and we have to continue to try to improve and get to a higher level.”

Go time

Point guard Kyle Lowry said his recent statistical uptick is part of his gearing up for the playoffs.

“I’ll be there when I need to be there,” he said of his game rounding fully into form. “But I just want to continue to get better, get in better shape, get in better rhythm, get a better feel for the guys and coaches.

“When it comes down to the playoffs, it’s going to be huge.”

Spoelstra said the change is tangible.

“He’s a veteran player, so he understands what’s needed for the team as the point guard,” Spoelstra said. “There have been several times during the season where he has been more assertive and more aggressive. It’s usually been when JB [Jimmy Butler] or Tyler [Herro] are out. But right now, we’ve needed him to be more aggressive even with those guys in.

“And his decision making all season long has been one of our greatest strengths. So we want to put the ball in his hands, but we also want him playing off the ball when those guys are making plays. And all that stuff, we just have to continue to get a better rhythm and better flow with.”

Second home

With former Heat guard Tim Hardaway announced Saturday for induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in September, it likely will make it three consecutive years of Heat-related enshrinements, with Chris Bosh going in last year and Dwyane Wade all but guaranteed of going in next year.

“This is cool,” Spoelstra said. “It means that you have some great players that have come through our organization. And those are fun weekends. Those are some of my best memories, are being able to share those moments, the entire Heat family, with whoever is being inducted. It will be fun.”

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