Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro reportedly is “not even close” to returning from the hand injury he suffered earlier this postseason.
"He's not even close guys… Tyler's got a long way to go. He's still got to strengthen that hand now that it's out of the cast."
@WillManso updates us on Tyler Herro's hand injury and his estimated return.@BrookeFletcher | @RIP_JEP | @Russ_Dorsey1 | @BallyHEAT pic.twitter.com/JDir3j9eDX
— The Rally (@TheRally) May 24, 2023
Herro broke his hand in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks. He did appear in both of Miami’s play-in tournament games, but he’s largely been out of the lineup in the postseason.
It was reported on Tuesday that it was unlikely that Herro would be able to return for the NBA Finals if the Heat made it this season.
Miami currently holds a 3-1 series lead on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals after losing Game 4 on Tuesday night. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit, so Miami has to be hopeful that it can win one of the next three games against Boston to advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
With Herro and Victor Oladipo (torn patellar tendon) both out of the lineup, the Heat have turned to Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry to carry the load at the guard spots in the playoffs.
So far, they have all stepped up, along with forward Caleb Martin, to lead the Heat to an 11-4 record in the playoffs.
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. Herro won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award in the 2021-22 season and has been one of the leading offensive options for the Heat over the past few seasons.
It seems like the Heat are going to be without Herro even if they do make the Finals, and it makes sense for the team not to rush him back if he’s at less than 100 percent.
Miami’s depth has been tested in the playoffs, but the team’s role players have risen to the occasion, showing that they’re ready for the moment after playing in the Eastern Conference Finals last season as well.
While Herro is a major loss because of his scoring ability, the Heat are still in prime position to compete for an NBA title despite earning the No. 8 seed in the East this season.
