Inside The Heat

Can this get better? Signs still pointing to Monday for Miami Heat star

Ethan J. Skolnick|
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

In this story:

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are rolling.

They've sped, quite literally, through an extraordinarily challenging opening stretch of the schedule with a 10-6 record, and after a road tilt in Philadelphia on Sunday, the challenges ease a bit. They have eight players scoring in double figures, and they don't even have last season's leading scorer back.

And that will be changing soon.

So we may need to recalibrate the expectations for the squad at this stage.

Tyler Herro, who didn't travel with the team to Chicago this weekend, continues to post optimistic photos and captions on his social media. He is currently "recalibrating."

This follows multiple reports, first from the Associated Press and then from ESPN, that Herro and the Heat have been targeting Monday's home game with Dallas for his first game back.

There were questions about how the Heat would score consistently after Herro had ankle surgery not too long before training camp. That has not been a problem, nor should it be a problem for him to acclimate to the Heat's new free-flowing style.

And for those concerned about how Herro and new leading scorer Norman Powell will fit, note that Powell added an bug-eyed emoji as a comment to Herro's post. Powell has been low-maintenance for the Heat on and off the floor, and proved his commitment to the cause again Friday, when he returned from a groin injury he suffered during the game and finished with 19 points.

Herro and Powell will certaintly start together, and there may even be an easier opening to the starting lineup, if Andrew Wiggins misses more than just these two games due to a hip flexor, though Wiggins will be needed back soon for his wing defense and other skills. So it's possible that Erik Spoelstra goes with three guards at the open, with the continually improving Davion Mitchell keeping his spot for now. So long as the ball keeps moving, the Heat should be fine, and Herro has already promised he won't stop it.

"I've played fast my whole life until I came to Miami," Herro said.

Things have moved fast for the Heat so far, and Herro's return -- now imminent -- will accelerate the process of them learning what they have, which could determine not only their surge in the standings but also their off-the-court activities. Extensions are on the line. Consolidation trades come home. But first, a welcome addition to an already surprisingly compelling season.

Everyone Jumping on Miami Heat bandwagon

Ware and Depth drive Heat victory against Bulls

Published
Ethan J. Skolnick
ETHAN J. SKOLNICK

Ethan has covered all major sports -- in South Florida and beyond -- since 1996 and is one of the longest-tenured fully credentialed members of the Miami Heat. He has covered, in total, more than 30 NBA Finals, Super Bowls, World Series and Stanley Cup Finals. After working full-time for the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Bleacher Report and several other outlets, he founded the Five Reasons Sports Network in 2019 and began hosting the Five on the Floor podcast as part of that network. The podcast is regularly among the most downloaded one-team focused NBA podcasts in the nation, and the network is the largest independent sports outlet in South Florida, by views, listens and social media reach. He has a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. from Columbia University. TWITTER: @EthanJSkolnick and @5ReasonsSports EMAIL: fllscribe@gmail.com

Share on XFollow EthanJSkolnick
Home/News