How does Tyler Herro fit into the Miami Heat's new system?

An offensive system that relies on early offense attacks, outside shooting, and free flowing options doesn't fit the style of the Miami Heat's reigning All Star Tyler Herro?

I beg to differ.

The return of Herro to the floor seems to be looming, as it was reported on Amazon Prime's pregame show before the game that a "return is near."

Bam and Tyler have both began contact activities at practice

"Im told a return is near"

(via @NBAonPrime ) pic.twitter.com/mTQ8BJ6QHK
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) November 14, 2025

There has been some conversation about how his return will impact this new offensive system, and if you think it'll be shifted in a negative way, I just don't know what to tell you.

The first layer of this is that the Heat will be adding a player who demands an insane amount of attention. You simply can't overhelp on a Jaime Jaquez Jr drive or a Norman Powell weak-side pin-down in the same way defenses are treating them now.

With multiple weapons on the edges of the perimeter, in Herro and Powell, it unlocks a spacing level that has yet to be seen up until this point.

The second part of this is the play-making. Davion Mitchell and Jaquez Jr have been holding down the top two spots on the assists per game chart for the Heat, but Herro's on ball play-making abilities move the chains for this offense a ton.

Herro is coming off his career high in assists a night with 5.5 a game last season, and that part of his game shouldn't go under the radar. While he is somebody who is capable of handing the ball for a chunk of an offensive possession to create for himself or somebody else, that was only seen so often last season because the roster called for it.

It was Herro-Bam Adebayo pick and roll or bust last season. In this new free-flowing, everybody eats style, there's no doubt in my mind that it benefits Herro to play in this flickering on-off ball role.

When the Heat came into training camp a year ago, with the thought Terry Rozier and Jimmy Butler would pop in the regular season, Erik Spoelstra came up with an off the catch game-plan for Herro to benefit off constant spot-up threes, chasing 10 three point attempts a night.

This is another chance to let him live on the wings and corner to thrive off quick fire threes and catch and go attacks for floaters or lay-ups.

The offense hasn't been a problem to this point, and won't be a problem when he returns. The issue with this team currently is figuring out the defensive side of the ball, as Adebayo nears his return simultaneously, and finding a way to rebound the basketball.

Coach Spo on the Heat rebounding:

“The 2nd chance. It's costing us games now. That's where we are. We've said it enough we have to fix it. We're being stubborn about the things we need to do better. I feel like we're fully capable of doing it. Is it easy? Winning is not easy in… pic.twitter.com/2axPVc2rOb
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) November 15, 2025

Adebayo is the real return that'll alter the way the Heat are currently playing. Herro is a great rebounder for his position, but the Heat are in need of matching front-court size and providing strong box-outs to finish defensive possessions.

The perimeter defense won't be getting much better either when he returns. If the current dialogue was about some concern that the defense will take an even bigger hit, I'd understand.

But this idea that a return of the team's best offensive player and scorer is going to hurt the offensive flow is ridiculous.

Being able to deploy Herro and Powell in their own lineups throughout the 48 minutes so that Miami is never without an elite shooter and creator does wonders.

The offense will be elevated even higher pretty soon. But there needs to be a collective focus on correcting the other parts.