Tyler Herro says Miami’s “healthiest” after injury woes

While it is The Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls match has been postponed due to unplayable conditions on the field, the team had to introduce a new starting line-up that was absent for a long time due to the return of the star Tyler Herro. Although it is The Heat couldn’t field a lineup against the Bulls, the team will show that on Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers, as Hero expresses his desire for the starting unit.

It’s undoubtedly been a frustrating season for Herro so far, as after missing the first 17 games of the season with offseason ankle surgery, he played in six games before missing more time with a toe injury. He returned last Tuesday for Miami’s 122-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, though he is off the bench to stretch his legs.

Before Thursday’s game was postponed, the team announced Herro’s starting lineup, along with Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Andrew Wigginsand Bam Adebayo. Herro would talk about how it was disappointing not to play against the Bulls because it could have been “healthiest” Miami was.

“We were all looking forward to playing in Chicago,” Hero said at Saturday’s game, according to The Miami Herald. “I think it was one of our healthiest, if not the healthiest, we’ve been in a long time. We all went to dinner together after the game like, ‘Damn, we couldn’t wait to play.'”

In seven games played so far, Hero is averaging 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from three.

The warmth Erik Spoelstra to the “dynamic” starting line-up to come

Despite that a huge improvement from Heat star Kel’el Warehe will be relegated to the bench for now, joining a core bench with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson and others. Still, the Mitchell-Ero-Powell-Wiggins-Adebayo starting lineup was effective in their limited time together as they outscored opponents by 12.7 points per 100 possessions in 73 minutes.

With the lineup going 2-2 in games so far, Saturday will be key to see how they play after many games not together, as Spoelstra talks about how “dynamic” that starting unit can be.

“We wanted to finish it early and the injuries prevented that,” Spoelstra said. “There are a lot of important lineups. So we’ll look at this or that gathering information, but I think it has an opportunity to be a really dynamic lineup for us. We’ll continue to use the versatility of our roster and use different lineups throughout the game.”

Fans might be worried about how the ball will get around, especially between Hero and the impressive Powell, but the former doesn’t seem too worried about adjusting.

“It’s not just about your game,” Herro said. “I think all of us, in different ways, have to make sacrifices to try to succeed, especially with that first unit. So if it changes the way you play a little bit, that’s a sacrifice. Including myself, I’m doing some winning things that will help the whole group as a whole, not just me.”

Miami is 20-17, which puts them in sixth place in the Eastern Conference before Saturday’s game against Indiana.