Tyler Herro to rescue at point guard for the Miami Heat?
Q: Assuming the Heat team is generally in place – no trade for Damian Lilliard to start the season – have the Heat done enough to replace Gabe Vincent? There is a lot Gabe did for the Heat team on a daily basis that wasn’t in the NBA boxscore. – Stuart, Miami.
A: That likely will come down to whether Tyler Herro is suited to play as a starting point guard. In that case, you can start Tyler at the point, and then have Kyle Lowry come in as a reserve, similar to the way he closed the season. From there, while Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo certainly can facilitate, you also could give a look at Jamaree Bouyea as the third point guard in the rotation, if needed. But what you can’t do is hold back Tyler’s offense because you play him at point guard. If Herro doesn’t thrive at the point, then there would have to be a Plan B at the point. (Hello, Goran?)
Q: Ira, the United States needs some big bodies (Joel Embid, Anthony Davis and LeBron James) for the Olympics. Hopefully Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard will also play. — Joel, Fort Lauderdale.
A: I agree that USA Basketball understated the need for size at the World Cup. Jaren Jackson Jr. hardly is the answer. But it also is asking too much for older players such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and even Kevin Durant to keep answering the call to duty. Figure on Bam Adebayo’s and some other bigs making themselves available for the 2024 Paris Olympics. And don’t overstate Lithuania defeating Team USA on Sunday. For much of the world, the World Cup is the greater gold than the Olympic. For the United States, it has long been the other way around.
Q: I will miss seeing Jimmy Buffett at the Heat games. Let’s go Heat, win a title for Margaritaville. — Dave.
A: Considering how the Heat have done things over the years, keep an eye out for a Parrothead banner at Kaseya Center to go alongside those for Dan Marino and Michael Jordan, it would be a fitting and nice touch. I would assume at the exhibition opener or regular-season opener there will be a fitting moment of silence for one of the Heat’s first celebrity fans.
