Inside The Heat

For all the worry, Miami hasn't slowed since return of its All-Star

The Heat are 3-1 since Tyler Herro rejoined the lineup
Austin Dobbins|
Apr 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) is congratulated by guard Tyler Herro (14) after making a basket during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Apr 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) is congratulated by guard Tyler Herro (14) after making a basket during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

The return of Miami's All-Star from last season raised many questions regarding his fit.

Will Herro slow Miami's pace down, will Herro effect Miami's defensive effectiveness, and will Herro take away from the start Norman Powell has had?

Well, Herro has done none of these things (defensive deficiencies are still there), but the Miami Heat are 3-1 since Herro has returned, and here are Herro's numbers in that span.

Herro has yet to slow Miami's fast paced offense down, the Heat are playing at a 105 pace since Tyler Herro returned to the lineup, which would still be the highest in the NBA.

The Heat have scored 106,106, 135, and 140 since he returned. Norman Powell has averaged 23 points per game in his three games with Herro, Andrew Wiggins has exploded offensively averaging 21.3 points per game in his three games, and Herro's partner, the captain, Bam Adebayo has averaged 19 points per game.

Miami's lone loss came to the Pistons, a game where Tyler Herro was picked on defensively. The Pistons got their way when switching onto Herro and Without Jaime Jaquez Jr, Herro struggled to stabilize the second unit offensively. With that said, Herro's 11 fourth quarter points were crucial to Miami's late comeback charge.

As the season goes on, coach Spoelstra will figure out the rotation, the Heat will continue to get comfortable, and we will continue to see growth from this Miami squad. 3-1 in Herro's first four games and zero signs of an offensive effect are a really good sign for the Heat.

Here's Norman Powell discussing Herro's fit:

And Powell is right, not only will the Heat grow, but they have to maintain their defensive identity that has carried them through the last decade.

Most of this will be to coach Spoelstra's decision making, balancing offense and defense within the lineups, making defensive and offensive substitutions in crucial moments, and messing with the lineups as the season goes on.

Getting the return of a 20+ point per game All-Star scorer is never a bad thing, and many are trying to construe their opinions around their opinions on one player rather than the teams success.

But so far, Herro has shown no signs of halting the Miami Heat's all go mission, the Heat continue to play fast, continue to score, and most importantly have continued to stack wins.

While Herro still has work to do on the defensive side, there is no questioning his offensive talent, and it will be up to coach Spoelstra on how to deploy his star guards Tyler Herro and Norman Powell to not only ensure Miami can score but get stops as well.

Give Spoelstra time, Miami's depth can't be considered a bad thing, and with the defensive tenacity on the roster, Spoelstra has plenty to play with.

Below Alex Toledo and Ethan Skolnick discuss Herro's return.

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Austin Dobbins
AUSTIN DOBBINS

Austin also writes for the Five Reasons Sports Network, covering all South Florida sports. As a current athlete, Austin specializes in in-depth analysis, player profiles, combining on-field knowledge with strong storytelling to cover football, basketball, and beyond. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Business Management at Webber International University. Twitter: @austindobbins13

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