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The last time we saw Tyler Herro take the court in an NBA game with the Miami Heat was back on February 23rd. He has been dealing with a foot injury since, missing 20 consecutive games since that point. But, that absence could be coming to an end this week.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, there is optimism that Herro will be able to get into the lineup for the Heat on Friday against the Houston Rockets. Miami is heading on the road and Herro traveled with the team on the road trip.

The three-game trip begins in Houston and also includes stops against the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks. The game against the Pacers is massive, as they are the team right ahead of the Heat in the standings to get out of the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Getting Herro back into the lineup would be a boost for Miami, especially on the offensive side of the ball. He is averaging 20.8 points per game this season to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 33.6 minutes per game.

Erik Spoelstra will undoubtedly be happy about having his starting shooting guard back in the mix. However, an argument could be made that the Heat are actually better off without him in the lineup.

This season, Herro has played in 36 games and the Heat have gone 19-17. Without him, they are 23-17 this season. It is a continuing trend that started during the 2023 NBA Postseason when Miami made their run to the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed without Herro being in the mix.

Spoelstra has found a good mix in recent games as the Heat have been playing the best basketball of the 2023-24 season. It will be interesting to see how the rotation is adjusted with Herro’s return, as several players will see their roles adjusted and potentially removed from the rotation altogether,

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