When Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro suffered a fractured hand during the first game of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, it was thought that he had played his last basketball of the season. His timetable for a return was somewhere in the area of 6 weeks, and the thought of his team making a deep postseason run was an unlikely one.
Report: Tyler Herro Could Return In Less Than A Week
Reporting for NBA Today on Miami guard Tyler Herro’s timeline for a return in the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/gDDW8E3ROh
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 1, 2023
But even without their third-leading scorer from the regular season, the Heat have made one of the most improbable runs in playoff history. By way of defeating the top two teams in the league, they have qualified for the 2023 NBA Finals, and will go up against the 1-seed from the Western Conference in the Denver Nuggets.
Now that the Heat have extended their season far longer than expected, there is a good chance that Herro is able to make his return at some point during the series. And perhaps sooner rather than later.
He has already been ruled out for Game 1, as was expected. But according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Game 2 on Sunday could be the target.
“I’m told that Game 2 on Sunday looms as a possibility for Tyler Herro…He’s on the court working out. Can that hand take contact…When players come back from an injury like that, you’re going to have to be ready to absorb contact.”
Should Tyler Herro return, Nuggets players will certainly be aware of the issue. And while they may not be intending to re-injure Herro, the hand is an easy place to target for opponents.
Woj goes on to say that if Herro is unable to go on Sunday, then all signs point to Wednesday, barring a setback of some kind.
The Heat have been performing just fine without him. They’ve made history over the last 6 weeks during their unlikely run, and have found a formula that allows them to be successful during the most important part of the season.
“He’s too talented not too bring back, but I wouldn’t slot him into rotation”
—@Money23Green on what the Heat should do with Tyler Herro in the Finals pic.twitter.com/owSa8xVNKA
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) May 31, 2023
But Herro’s return will likely only help Miami overcome the long odds that they face. His 20.1 points per game were the third-most on the team during the regular season, and his 37.8% shooting clip from 3-point range was easily the best of any rotation player for the Heat. Despite missing 18-games, Herro was in the top-20 in total 3-pointers.
Will his presence be enough The Heat are currently listed as +325 underdogs for the series, a spread that will only grow unless they are able to pull an upset in Game 1. They’ll do their best to make sure that they’re not in a hole by the time Tyler Herro returns.