Tyler Herro Injury Clouds Miami Heat’s Early East Outlook

According to a report from ESPN, Herro will miss eight weeks of action. Looking at the team’s schedule, he’s facing a potential 12-game absence right out of the gate.

While Herro is expected to be out for approximately 12 games, the Heat aren’t guaranteed to be at full health by the time the star guard is back in the mix. Depending on how that first stretch turns out, the Heat could find themselves in a tough spot out of the gate.

Looking at the current Eastern Conference odds, the Heat are far from being the favorites to win the title. According to FanDuel sportsbook, the Heat currently have the 10th-best odds to win the East (set at +4000).

The Heat trail the Indiana Pacers, who will miss Tyrese Haliburton for the year. Miami is right in front of the Toronto Raptors, who have been a borderline rebuilding club as of late.

Last season, Miami made a major shakeup by trading away Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. It wasn’t the result that the team wanted, but Butler made it clear he would force the team’s hand. So, he did, and it left the Heat leaning heavily on Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo to keep the organization competitve.

The Heat managed to sneak into the playoffs as the eighth seed, but their season ended rather quickly. After getting bounced in the first round, the Heat understood they had a lot of work to do. As they built out the roster with changes, Miami built with Herro in mind as a focal point. He’ll earn his star status right back when he’s on the floor, but Herro has a lot of work to do with his recovery.

Last season, Herro appeared in 77 games. Seeing the court for 35.4 minutes, the veteran sharpshooter made 38 percent of his shots from three. He produced 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game throughout the year.