The Miami Heat received a positive update on guard Tyler Herro’s knee, as his MRI showed a hyperextended knee but no further structural damage.
Tyler Herro looks to have overextended his knee
Sending prayers his way 🙏 pic.twitter.com/eSkHSuGtzO
— JJJMuse (@JaimeJaquezMuse) February 24, 2024
As expected, the MRI showed a hyperextended knee, and nothing more https://t.co/5kjpDT8iNl
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) February 26, 2024
Herro won’t play in the team’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, but it appears he avoided a serious injury.
So far this season, Herro has appeared in 36 games for Miami. He missed a major chunk of time early on in the 2023-24 campaign with an ankle injury. That cost him 18 games from Nov. 11 through Dec. 16.
Hopefully, the guard’s knee injury won’t keep him out nearly as long, as Miami needs Herro’s offensive prowess for the stretch run of the 2023-24 season.
The Heat currently hold the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference heading into Monday’s matchup, but they won’t have Herro, Terry Rozier, Josh Richardson or Jimmy Butler in this game.
Rozier and Richardson are out due to injuries while Butler and young forward Nikola Jovic are both serving a suspension.
Even when Butler returns, Miami has a need for Herro’s offense. The team ranks 27th in the NBA in points per game this season, and Miami is shooting just 46.3 percent from the field – good for 24th in the NBA.
A former Sixth Man of the Year, Herro is averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. Over the last three seasons, Herro has averaged at least 20.1 points per game for Miami.
Miami enters Monday night’s game on a three-game winning streak, and the team is just one game back of the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat would love to earn a top-six seed in the East to avoid the league’s play-in tournament this season.
For Herro, it’s important that he’s able to get healthy from his knee injury to contribute for Miami in the playoffs, should the team make it there this season. Last season, Herro was injured in Game 1 of the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks, forcing Miami to play without him for most of the playoffs.
The team clearly missed Herro’s scoring punch in the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, and it is hoping it can avoid running into a scenario where Herro is unable to play in the postseason again in the 2023-24 campaign.
After Monday’s matchup with the Kings, Miami’s next game is on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. It’ll be interesting to see how the Heat list Herro on the injury report for that matchup.
