Inside The Heat

Miami's loss to Cleveland further highlights Tyler Herro's importance

Austin Dobbins|
Oct 6, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) watches from the bench against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Oct 6, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) watches from the bench against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

The Miami Heat led by as many as 14 points, with five minutes left in the third quarter against many of the Cavaliers reserves. Miami turned the ball over 11 times in the second half and shot 8/22 (36.4%) in the fourth quarter, a large sign of the importance of their all-star guard Tyler Herro.

This was Miami's second 10+ point blown lead of the season, coming off a season where they blew 20+.

Tyler Herro has missed the start of the season after undergoing ankle surgery before the season started. Herro is expected to return sooner rather than later and last night showed why his return is crucial to Miami sustaining their early season offensive success.

When Jaime Jaquez has come onto the floor throughout the season the bench unit has been able to maintain the starters play throughout the season, but Cleveland contained Jaime Jaquez and put the Heat's second unit behind the 8-ball, enabling the Cav's to get out to a big lead that Miami couldn't come back from.

They got a stop, and couldn't capitalize, forced a turnover, and couldn't capitalize, no matter who had the ball, completely disrupting their flow.

Now this is where Tyler Herro is most missed, the veteran, three-level, all-star scorer who can help the Heat get back into the game, who can cast a large amount of attention, and continue to enable Miami's high-octane offense.

In the fourth quarter Miami's three-point shooting disappeared, going 2-8. Herro is a career 38% from beyond the arc. A huge boost for shooting and spacing in the read and react isolation style of offense.

Miami should get Herro's offensive boost sooner rather than later:

If Herro does make his return soon, it could provide the exact spark Miami’s offense needs to steady itself. Beyond his scoring, Herro’s ability to create off the dribble and draw defensive attention instantly changes how opponents guard the Heat. With him on the floor, Norman Powell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have more space to operate, and Miami’s offense will benefit from cleaner looks much like they saw to start the season.

With Herro, Erik Spoelstra can stagger lineups more effectively, allowing either Herro or Powell to anchor the offense when the other rests. That balance has been missing during Miami’s recent cold stretches, where stagnant ball movement and inconsistent shot selection have plagued quarters.

The Heat have weathered early-season injuries before, and their resilience has kept them competitive. But if Miami hopes to keep pace in a tightening Eastern Conference, getting their All-Star-caliber guard back healthy, and integrating him smoothly -- could be the difference between another middling stretch and a serious climb up the standings.

When Tyler Herro makes his eventual return, who is the odd man out?

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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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