Who needs to step up most in Tyler Herro's absence?

Feb 12, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14), guard Davion Mitchell (45), forward Andrew Wiggins (22) and center Bam Adebayo (13) high five after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It won't be easy to replace 22 points per game,

That's what the Miami Heat must do for the first month of the NBA season, and possibly more, following Tyler Herro's ankle surgery.

And the Heat must do so while facing a challenging schedule early, facing several 2025 playoff teams, and most of them on the road.

This will put the onus on a few people in particular to keep the Heat afloat until Herro returns.

There are others, but let's start with these three:

1. Norman Powell: It may seem a lot to ask a newcomer to carry the offensive burden, but that's what Powell did successfully for stretches last season as key Los Angeles Clippers (including Kawhi Leonard) were out. Now Powell will need to do it in a new environment, without James Harden facilitating alongside him. One of the most efficient players in the NBA off the ball last season, Powell will handle plenty until Herro returns. He will need to build chemistry with his teammates quickly.

2. Bam Adebayo: He's the captain, and the anchor of the defense, so there's already plenty on his shoulders. Now he will be without the two players with whom he collaborated most on offense: Herro in pick-and-rolls, and Duncan Robinson (who was traded to the Pistons) on dribble handoffs. Even so, Miami needs him to produce at the level he did in the last two months of the 2024-25 season rather than the lethargic offensive play of the first two months.

3. Erik Spoelstra: Ultimately, it falls on the Heat's decorated coach to adjust. The good news is that the Herro news didn't come as a complete surprise, and the surgery occurred two months prior to training camp. Herro's absence also allows Spoelstra to lean into his own strength -- constructing a stout defense, with Davion Mitchell likely replacing Herro in the starting lineup. Still, Spoelstra will need to redesign many sets that started with Herro's ability to stretch the court. That means more off-ball cuts, and more basket attacks. And then adjusting again whenever Herro returns.

MORE MIAMI HEAT NEWS