Inside The Heat

NBA analysts and Miami Heat believe Tyler Herro will fit with revamped offense

Alex Toledo|
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Miami Heat

The Miami Heat, now 9-6 on the season, have backed up their words with actions. After talking throughout training camp about running a more uptempo offense, they have remained the league-leading team in pace through the first month of the season.

Much of it has been without Tyler Herro, who was the team's most important offensive player last season. Herro is set to return to action from a foot injury soon and some have been wondering how he'll fit into the Heat's revitalized system.

"He should fit in. Well, it should take a little bit off his plate, as far as thinking goes. He should be able to attack. They play with good pace and tempo and they move the ball, so he knows he'll get it back. so he should be able to make simple plays," The Dunker Spot's Steve Jones said on the Zach Lowe Show. "I think for Miami overall, they're going to need his scoring and his ability to drive, if he can nail those."

"Because as much as I've loved what Miami does, it does feel sometimes like, whoa, there's a lot of Davion Mitchell. You kind of need him to do this and you need him to do this, and Norman Powell has been great, but having a secondary, like if you have Powell and Herro being able to kind of drive-and-kick towards each other, attack defenses when they're rotating, I think that's a positive," Jones continued. "I think the fact that they've had success with it early should make it easier for Tyler Herro to kind of just buy into it and it takes away some of the 'Let's wait for Tyler Herro to make a decision in pick-and-roll type plays that haven't been the most fun for Miami at times."

The Heat, after ranking 24th and 21st, respectively, over the last two seasons, playing at a bottom-three pace, now rank in the middle of the pack in offensive rating despite missing Herro all season, Bam Adebayo for seven games and Norman Powell for three games.

On top of their astronomical jump from last season to this one when it comes to pace, what's stood out from their offense is the playstyle helping lead to more higher-percentage looks. The Heat are 10th in percentage of their shots taken at the rim and third in frequency of shots taken between four and 14 feet.

"I think it's going to be interesting, but probably fine and I also think part of Tyler Herro fitting into the system is the ability to play outside of it in a pinch," Lowe responded. "I think that's part of his value is to sort of fit out."

Herro averaged about 23.9 points, 5.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 0.9 steals through a tumultuous 2024-2025 season that saw him earn his first All-Star nod. Powell, who has done an admirable job filling in, (averaging 25.4 points, four rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals), is optimistic about the fit.

“I think we're going to complement each other with our play style," his new teammate Powell said. "We're both selfless players. We've already been talking about how we're going to be finding each other and looking for each other in transition and playing off one another.”

Powell has done a lot of his work off-the-catch, whether off a curl or a pindown, making the read whether to shoot or get downhill. Although Herro has traditionally played a more pick-and-roll heavy role, it's hard to argue he doesn't have the skillset to adjust and play in a similar way. For as much as Powell has been better at getting to the free throw line, posting career highs there as well this season, Herro is the better passer.

“That’s easy to figure out," head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He's one of the most skilled guys in the league. It's going to fit, it's going to add. We miss him dearly. That offensive talent, playmaking, scoring, he can play fast, all of that really fits well."

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For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.

Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached on Twitter: @tropicalblanket

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Alex Toledo
ALEX TOLEDO

Alex, who was born in Miami, is also a producer, co-host and reporter for the Five on the Floor podcast. He has covered the Heat and NBA since 2019 as a season credential holder. He studied journalism at Florida International University.