Will Erik Spoelstra pivot plan until Tyler Herro returns?

Oct 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) talks with head coach Erik Spoelstra during the third quarter in game six of the 2020 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat are no strangers to the "Thunderbolt" event that can sidetrack a season.

There was Alonzo Mourning's kidney disease diagnosis in 2000 training camp after Pat Riley had assembled a contender. There were Chris Bosh's two blood clots (in 2015 and 2016) that derailed chances at contention after LeBron James left. And of course, there was Jimmy Butler essentially deciding he didn't want to play for the Heat anymore last season, setting off a series of suspensions.

And on and on.

So the Heat coach, Erik Spoelstra, has had experience -- whether as an assistant or as the guy in charge -- trying to adjust to the absence of a star. Now he will start the 2025-26 season without top scorer Tyler Herro, for at least the first month, due to ankle surgery. On a team that was already offensively challenged, this is not ideal. And the opening schedule is challenging.

So how will Spoelstra handle it?

On our podcast Five on the Floor, we discussed the possibility of leaning defense. Spoelstra could start Davion Mitchell along with Norman Powell and stick with Kel'el Ware next to Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins up front. This would give him a group that could stifle opponents, but may struggle to shoot. But he also could go with Nikola Jovic in Ware's place, for one additional playmaker --- now that Herro won't be available to initiate.

Either way, there is some evidence that Spoelstra can make the best of a bad situation. Many forget that in the aforementioned 2015-16 season, the Heat had actually disappointed before the All-Star Break, just a couple of games over .500. Then Bosh got diagnosed again with the blood clot and was indefinitely sidelined. So Spoelstra, with little choice, slid Luol Deng into the power forward slot. He played faster, and leaned more on the backcourt of Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade.

The team took off.

The Heat reached Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs, before finally getting eliminated by Toronto.

And Spoelstra was around in 2000-01 when Pat Riley, as coach, found a way to go 42-27 without Mourning, leaning on Brian Grant and Anthony Mason (who surprisingly made an All-Star team) to take on the frontcourt burden. It was actually Mourning's return that proved problematic, as the Heat went 8-5 down the stretch but then got swept in the first round by Charlotte.

So Spoelstra has seen what can work, and what can't, and now he must adapt to the current situation.

Herro will be back, like Mourning but unlike Bosh. Until then, with expectations muted, Spoelstra has the license to tinker. We will see what he cooks up.

MORE MIAMI HEAT NEWS