Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro reportedly is targeting Game 3 of the NBA Finals to return from the hand injury he suffered earlier this postseason.
Herro fractured his hand in Game 1 of the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks, but with Miami winning Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics on Monday, he has a chance to return for the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
Tyler Herro (fractured hand) is targeting Game 3 of the NBA Finals to make his return, per @ChrisBHaynes.
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) May 30, 2023
Earlier this month it had been reported that Herro was “not close” to returning, but it appears the Heat guard has taken steps in his recovery.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Wednesday, June 7, giving Herro more than a week from Monday’s win over Boston to get himself ready. It will also be the first game of the 2023 NBA Finals that will be played in Miami.
During the regular season, Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc. Last season, Herro was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year, and he has been one of Miami’s best scorers for multiple seasons.
The Heat have gotten to the NBA Finals essentially without Herro, relying on the likes of Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson to score the ball from the wing and guard spots.
Martin was terrific in the Eastern Conference Finals, putting on a show in Game 7 against Boston. The Heat forward finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the Game 7 win.
There’s no doubt that the Heat would love to have Herro as an option in the NBA Finals, as he can score the ball at a high rate. Denver is one of the best offensive teams in the NBA, and the team has a ton of 3-point shooting on its roster.
Miami is going to need to keep up, so adding a 20-point-per-game scorer back into the rotation would be a huge lift.
The 2023 NBA Finals are set to begin on Thursday, June 1 in Denver. The Nuggets have home-court advantage after finishing with the No. 1 seed in the West in the regular season.
