Will Tyler Herro play return for the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals?

Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin led the Miami Heat to a stunning win in Boston on Tuesday night to advance to NBA Finals and avoid living on the wrong side of history after nearly blowing a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics. The Miami Heat have been short handed all postseason, but as Eric Spoelstra has managed to lead his troops to the franchises sixth NBA Finals and might be getting a key piece of the puzzle back within the next week.

Herro explodes in rookie year

What the Miami Heat have been able to do in their playoff run to the NBA Finals has been nothing short of spectacular. When you take into account the the eight seed in the East lost one of their best scorers in the early moments of Game 1 of the opening round, it makes you sit back and marvel even more.

Tyler Herro exploded on to the scene in his rookie year after getting drafted out of the University of Kentucky. He was instrumental in the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals during the COVID interrupted Bubble Season.

In his rookie season he averaged 13 points and 4 rebounds which earned him a spot on the All-Rookie second team, but he didn’t make himself a house hold name until the postseason that year. He scored 37 points in the Conference Finals game against the Boston Celtics, and after taking down the C’s he became the youngest player ever to start an NBA Finals game, at 20 years and 256 days old.

Miami missing 20 ppg in postseason

This season he finished third on the Heat’s scoring list, averaging 20.1 points a game behind Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Herro is also Miami’s long range specialist, shooting a team high 37.5% from three point range. In the first half of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs Herro went to chase down a loose ball, and hit his hand against Grayson Allen, breaking his right hand. He was forced to the operating room shortly after the game and subsequently ruled out for 4-6 weeks.

If you have been watching pregame shows or paying attention to Twitter over the last few Heat games, you have probably seen Herro warming up but when game time comes around changes into his street clothes which haven’t drawn him much critical acclaim at least from TNT commentator Stan Van Gundy.

The good news for Van Gundy, and more importantly, the Heat is Herro’s time on the sideline looks like it’s coming to an end. He broke his hand on April 16th and we are exactly at the six week mark since the Heat’s Game 1 win over the Bucks. Before Game 7 in Boston, TNT’s Chris Haynes reported that Herro is expected to make his return in Game 3 of the Finals should they advance.

The Heat advanced, and now they will have to try to steal at least one of two in Denver before Herro comes back for Game 3 in Miami. The NBA Finals opener tips-off on Thursday at 8:30 pm ET.