Erik Spoelstra says Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro still not ready
MIAMI — For all the work that Tyler Herro has been seen putting in during practices and before games in the NBA Finals, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday that a hard truth remains.
“He has not been cleared yet, so that’s where we are,” Spoelstra said during his media session at Kaseya Center. “But we’re encouraged by the work that he has been doing.”
Herro has been sidelined since breaking his right hand in the first half of the Heat’s playoff opener on April 16, undergoing surgery later that week.
Although Herro has been listed as out in advance of the first two games of this best-of-seven series that is tied 1-1 going into Wednesday’s 8:30 p.m. Game 3, Spoelstra has stopped short of declaring the winner of the NBA’s 2022 Sixth Man of the Year award out for the Finals.
“Yeah, I don’t want to be Nostradamus right now,” Spoelstra said. “We’re taking it one day at a time. I know that sounds like cliche. He did the practice with the group. He is going to do a full-contact workout after this. We’ll evaluate that. We’ll meet with the training staff, and we’ll just continue this process.”
As has been the case throughout the Finals, the Heat did not make Herro available for comment Tuesday, required to provide such interview opportunities only when a player returns from injury.
However, ESPN’s Ros Gold-Onwude, who is covering the series for ESPN Radio, provided un update in her Twitter account that said, “I spoke with Tyler Herro ahead his Game 2 pregame routine and he told me he experiences both soreness and swelling in the right hand after shooting and he can feel the soreness when he’s making a ‘follow through’ shooting motion. He also shared his consideration of not wanting to come back and mess up the rhythm of the team. While there was hope he’d return for Game 2 as he’s participating in all aspects of team practice, he’s making sure the time is right for his return to the court.”
Wade inspiration
With Heat icon Dwyane Wade among the driving forces behind his decision to join the Heat in 2019 free agency, Jimmy Butler said Wade also is a driving force behind the desire to secure his first NBA title.
“It’s always D-Wade just telling me to be myself and be who I am, create my own story and go out there and compete and do what you love to do, and that’s win,” Butler said Tuesday.
“He’s been in my corner for a very long time now. I’m very grateful. He is a huge reason why I’m here. I don’t like to be compared to that guy, but the one thing that I do want to be like him is a champion. That’s what I’ve got to go do.”
Passing fancy
With Kevin Love back in the Heat starting lineup, center Bam Adebayo said Tuesday he again has to think about the long ball. Love hit Adebayo with a full-court pass in Sunday’s Game 2 victory that resulted in a clear-path penalty on the Nuggets.
“I feel like the best thing about Kevin Love’s passing is it’s always on the money,” Adebayo said. “They’re always right there. Hands ready, it’s in the pocket.
“My biggest change would be on a team with K-Love, as you can see, as soon as he gets the rebound, I take off running. I feel like we’ve all benefited from that.”
‘Like a party’
Wednesday will be the Heat’s first NBA Finals home game since 2014, with the Heat’s 2020 Finals appearance coming in the Disney World quarantine bubble amid the pandemic.
Guard Kyle Lowry said he is eager to embrace the scene.
“I think just we have a different vibe here, you know what I mean?” he said. “The vibe down here is just awesome, and when it gets going here, it’s really like a party. You have to enjoy it. You enjoy the music. They sing with you. They sing along. It’s just a great place to be and the fan base is unbelievable. And I’m sure (Wednesday) is going to be nuts in here.”
Reunion tour
While his home games at the University of Miami were played at the Watsco Center, Nuggets guard Bruce Brown said he does have a few memories of the Heat’s arena.
“I came once when they played Philly in the playoffs,” he said. “I think T.J., Tyler Johnson, was still here. But we also played here during the Hoop Hall [Classic]. We played Princeton here my sophomore year.”
Brown said the plan was to see Hurricanes coach Jim Larrañaga.
“We were in Pinecrest (Monday) at Jeff Green’s house at a team dinner,” he said of his veteran Nuggets teammate, “and we drove by UM. It just brought back memories, me going to the McDonald’s across the street on U.S. 1 and being in the CVS a lot. It’s great to be back.
“I might go back to campus and see the new dorms. I was there last summer working out.”
Ill effects
Heat forward Caleb Martin on Tuesday confirmed the impact on his Sunday play of the illness that had him listed as questionable for Game 2.
“It was more just like cold chills, body aches, heavy, heavy migraine,” he said. “I was just laying down pretty much in the dark the whole entire game.”
He said he has since moved on.
“I am feeling better now,” he said. “Definitely a lot better. I feel like I’ve almost got it out of my system, so definitely feeling a lot better than I did the last two games. Yeah, man, just a couple of these meds and I’ll be all right.”
