The Miami Heat received a huge boost in the lineup on Monday as Tyler Herro made his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks, returning from an ankle injury he suffered in the offseason. As of publication, the Heat led the Mavericks by double digits at halftime, and Herro got his first points of the year in the first half.
Tyler Herro’s first points of the season for the Heat came late in the second quarter as he dribbled the ball up court, attacked the paint and finished with a runner off the glass. That bucket was just one of what is sure to many for Herro this season. By halftime, he had eight points, six rebounds and three steals in 14 minutes of play. He was shooting 4-of-8 from the field.
In Herro’s absence, the Heat have actually been among the better teams in the Eastern Conference. They are currently 11-6 and in fourth place in the East standings, and have won four consecutive games. Herro’s return coincided with the absence of Norman Powell who was ruled out against the Mavericks due to a groin injury. He suffered the injury during the Heat’s win against the Chicago Bulls last Friday.
Herro’s return to the lineup gives the Heat another ball-handler and shot creator; someone who has been a double-digit scoring threat his entire career. Last season, Herro appeared in a career-best 77 games at a little over 35 minutes per game.
He averaged a career-high 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists with splits of 47.2 percent shooting from the field, 37.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 87.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line. He was selected to the All-Star team for the first time in his career.
