Even though the Miami Heat beat the Memphis Grizzlies to extend their winning-streak to three games Wednesday night, they also had to deal with a concerning injury for star Tyler Herro. While it's still early in the season, the Heat offense has been a slog and with their leading scorer now gone “probably a couple of weeks” according to Herro himself, it just puts more salt on the wounds.
In the midst of a career-best season, he injured his ankle with around a minute left in the first quarter as he attempted a floater and landed on Jaren Jackson Jr.'s foot. As soon as he landed, you can hear a yelp heard from the court which is Herro reacting to the injury. He momentarily got up and was seen hopping to the locker room.
The injury from Herro's point of view
The team announced during the game that it was a right ankle sprain for Herro. The severity of the injury hasn't been determined yet until he gets an official MRI Thursday which he's back in Miami to meet with a team physician per The Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman. In his fifth season, he described what happened and how he's feeling according to The Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang.
“Just spur of the moment,” Herro said. “A floater, a shot that I shoot multiple times a game. Just unfortunate to land on his foot. I don’t feel the best, but I’m going to get better. I’ll be straight.”
He goes more into detail about exactly what he heard from his own body as he landed awkwardly. At the very moment of the injury, he knew immediately that he was done for the game.
“It was something I felt right when it happened,” Herro said. “I felt it and I kind of knew mentally. I heard some crunches and cracks in my ankle. I’m like, ‘Yeah, that will be it.’ I actually told the bench, ‘I’m done. I can’t keep going.’ It’s unfortunate, but I’m just going to continue to work hard. I’ve been through this injury stuff before and I’m just going to keep working.”
Herro a huge loss for the Heat
There's no doubt that Herro is an absolutely integral piece to this Heat team in the scoring department. So far on the season, the team is ranked in the bottom five of offensive rating at No. 26 and now they've lost Herro who's been averaging 22.9 points per game.
The Heat have been going through the motions despite the three-game winning streak as while they've played some solid basketball, their level of play has consistently slipped in the fourth quarter. Even though they beat the depleted Grizzlies, it was evident late in the game when the team was in desperate need of a shot-creator that Herro has been.
With Herro out, the most likely solution might be leaning more heavily on Jimmy Butler, but can he be relied on consistently every night to play like how he did in the playoffs last season? If there is a prediction to be made, it's that this current Heat team does have its flaws which will be exemplified because of Herro's absence, but doubting the Heat is an invitation to get burned.
Erik Spoelstra and Heat have to adapt without Herro
Head coach Erik Spoelstra has had teams way worse on paper before and has dealt with years upon years of adversity, only to over-exceed expectations. If there is a team that can overcome this, it's the Heat. However, there is a valid concern in how the offense will adapt with Herro out.
It's been known and said by Spoelstra and the team's trinity that the Heat centers around the offense of Herro, Butler, and Bam Adebayo together. The Heat will have to either run a heavy two-man offense with Butler and Adebayo or the most likely option, the team will get others involved and play to their strengths.
Spoelstra expressed to the media that all he knows is what Herro's injury is. Although, he did mention that they will know more once the MRI is finished.
“It’s a sprained ankle. That’s what we know right now,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Wednesday’s win in Memphis. “He got an X-ray, that was clean. We’ll do an MRI tomorrow just to check on things. But we know what it is. It’s a sprained ankle and we’ll figure it out from there.”
Adebayo's No. 1 concern is Herro's health
A key component to Miami's offense is Adebayo who himself is enjoying a great start to the 2023-24 campaign. When he spoke after the win, he emphasized that the biggest concern is that Herro gets healthy and not about scheme.
“It’s a process at this point,” Adebayo said. “We’ll get him back when we get him back. The biggest thing for him is getting healthy and being able to stay at that high level he’s been at it.”
Fans will get to see the Heat without Tyler Herro in their next game which is Saturday as they face the Atlanta Hawks. It'll be their second contest in a four-game road trip until they come back home next Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets.
Follow Us
Subscribe