In the aftermath of the Miami Heat's failed trade pursuit of Damian Lillard, Tyler Herro has assumed a bigger role in the team's offense — to positive results. Entering the Heat's Wednesday night game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Herro was averaging 25.3 points per game to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists, emerging as the team's primary shot-creator from the perimeter. Even then, the Heat have struggled to create offense, and now, they'll be having more difficulties putting the ball through the hoop moving forward in light of the unfortunate ankle injury Herro sustained last night.
With less than a minute left in the first quarter, Herro managed to get easily into the paint, lofting a floater over the outstretched arms of Grizzlies big man and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. However, Herro landed on Jackson's foot and immediately crumpled in pain on the floor. Herro then hurriedly hopped towards the locker room using his healthy left foot, with Kevin Love ushering him towards the tunnel.
Now, ankle sprains vary in severity; but rather unluckily, Tyler Herro himself knows that the injury he sustained could keep him out for at least “a couple of weeks”, gutting the Heat's already questionable depth even further.
“Right when it happened I felt it. And I kind of knew mentally, I heard some crunches and cracks in my ankle. And I'm like, ‘Yeah, that will be it,'” Herro told reporters, via ESPN.
The team also reported Thursday that Herro did sustain a Grade 2 ankle sprain, which means he'll be in a walking boot for 10 days and re-evaluated in two weeks.
Tyler Herro acknowledged that he just experienced a tough break in the game, as the floater he shot over Jaren Jackson Jr. that got him injured is a shot he takes on a regular basis.
“Just spur of the moment,” the Heat guard said. “A floater, a shot that I shoot multiple times a game. Just unfortunate to land on his foot.”
Now, this will be the ultimate litmus test of the famous Heat culture, especially when they're currently ranked 26th in offensive rating in their first eight games. Kyle Lowry did his part in stepping up in Herro's absence on Wednesday night, but Josh Richardson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Dru Smith will all have to play their roles in making sure the Heat remain afloat without Tyler Herro.
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