Tyler Herro

Heat Notes: Smith, Butler, Expectations

December 18th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat guard Dru Smith, who is on a two-way contract, has become a key rotation player over the past six games in part due to his impressive defense, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat have been substantially better defensively when Smith has been on the court compared to when he’s not.

“I’m trying to bring as much energy as I can on the defensive end, be disruptive and just try to make inspiring plays on the defensive end,” said Smith, who turns 27 on Dec. 30. “And also just take open shots when they’re there. I want to try to do a better job of getting guys easier looks on the offensive end, getting Bam [Adebayo] some easy baskets in pick-and-rolls, things like that. But mainly when I check in, just trying to breathe life into everybody and bring good energy and try to turn a couple games around.”

As Chiang observes, Smith’s traditional statistics over the six-game stretch have been solid if unspectacular, with the third-year guard averaging 7.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG and 2.0 SPG on .485/.529/.750 shooting in 25.3 MPG. But Smith, who is a candidate to be promoted to a standard contract, has drawn praise from his All-Star teammates and his head coach for his heady play.

“When you find guys that just do winning things on both ends of the court over and over and over — that can be consistent to that — that’s a superpower in this league,” Spoelstra said of Smith. “Everybody is searching for that, but he’s kind of the glue that fits, and he can make any unit work — the second unit, the starters. So that’s that thing I say, make me watch, make me play you and then make me for sure not even think about putting somebody else in there.”

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In an interview with Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, Smith admitted his NBA journey has been frustrating at times, particularly the 2022/23 campaign, when he was signed and waived multiple times while on two-way deals with Miami. “Yeah, no, there were plenty of days of frustration,” Smith said. “Just questioning, is this what I’m supposed to be doing? You feel like you’re chasing something that just keeps getting further away. But it was all worth it and just continue. But I’m still in the same position. I’m still here on a two-way, still trying to do the same thing. So, keeping that in mind at the same time, always trying to appreciate my opportunities that I get. I try to take advantage of them to the best of my ability.”
Appearing on NBA Today on Tuesday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of ESPN referred to Jimmy Butler‘s situation with the Heat as “fluid.” According to Charania, Miami doesn’t feel any urgency to move Butler, but the front office is still open to offers for the star forward, with the Suns and Warriors believed to be his top choices if he does switch teams before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Aside from Pelle Larsson and Tyler Herro, just about every other player on the Heat’s standard roster has fallen short of expectations this season, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who explains why that has been bad for the team’s on-court product and its ability to improve through trades.

Heat Notes: Butler, Trade Rumors, Herro, Richardson

December 11th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN’s Tuesday report stating that the Heat are open to offers on Jimmy Butler and might make a deal if the price is right has resulted in plenty of chatter among NBA fans and observers, but head coach Erik Spoelstra and Butler have since downplayed the report in comments to the media.

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel relays, Spoelstra told reporters on Tuesday that he “didn’t mention anything” about ESPN’s story to his team. The Heat coach also pointed out that trade rumors surrounding another Heat player – Tyler Herro – in recent years haven’t amounted to anything and added that the team has been playing some of its best basketball as of late.

“I think the biggest message is that fact that we’re 3-0 right now, this past week, and the player that was rumored in so many trades and speculations the last three years — it seemed like every week — that player is still here and is Player of the Week,” Spoelstra said. “So that’s really the only thing I’m thinking about. … Anything else, any other narrative, I don’t care. Nobody should, because most of this stuff has just been all like a bunch of gibberish.”

Butler wasn’t available to reporters on Tuesday, but addressed the rumors on Wednesday following the Heat’s practice at Kaseya Center, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Butler said the trade speculation “doesn’t bother me one bit” — in fact, he appreciates it.

“I actually like it,” Butler said. “It’s good to be talked about. I don’t think there’s such a thing as bad publicity to a point. But if somebody is talking about me getting traded, that’s a lot.”

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Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald provide some additional context on the report about Butler’s availability, writing that the star forward hasn’t asked for a trade and the Heat aren’t shopping him — they’re just willing to listen. According to Chiang and Jackson, due to the lack of contenders with projected 2025 cap room, the Heat aren’t all that concerned about the possibility of losing Butler in free agency next summer if he remains in Miami for the rest of the season.
While there have been reports in recent months indicating that Butler has stayed committed to the Heat, he didn’t offer a concrete answer on Wednesday when asked if he still hopes to stick with the club for the rest of this career, Chiang notes. “I don’t know,” Butler said. “I’m pretty sure y’all are going to get a report that’s going to say otherwise anyways. So there’s no sense in me answering that question.”
Columnist Greg Cote of The Miami Herald lays out the case for why the Heat should move on from Butler this season if they get a solid offer for him.
It has been Herro, not Butler, who has been the Heat’s leading scorer so far this season, putting up a career-high 24.2 points per game with an impressive .477/.422/.872 shooting line. As Chiang writes in another story for The Miami Herald, Herro is starting to generate some All-Star buzz and said he’d “love” to be selected for the game. “That’s been my goal since I came into the league,” Herro said. “We’ll see. I got to get votes. I’m definitely worthy though.”
Heat guard Josh Richardson received an injection in his heel and will be sidelined for the next week, tweets Winderman. Richardson hasn’t seen any action since November 18 — he has been listed as available for the majority of Miami’s past nine games, but has continually showed up on the injury report due to right heel soreness and irritation.

Eastern Notes: Ball, Mobley, Heat, K. Johnson

December 9th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

There was some skepticism coming into the season about whether Lonzo Ball would be healthy enough to play – and what sort of impact he’d have – for the Bulls after being sidelined due to knee issues for two-and-a-half years. Ball has only appeared in eight of 25 games, but his multi-week absence was the result of a new wrist injury rather than his surgically repaired knee, which the Bulls guard says has held up just fine so far, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times relays.

“To be honest, I’m a lot better than I thought I was going to be, early on for sure,” Ball said, referring to both his knee and his defense. “There’s still some mishaps, definitely on the ball sometimes. But for the most part I feel comfortable out there. I feel like I haven’t really missed a beat, so I just try and give good minutes when I’m out there.”

As Cowley writes, the positive effect that Ball has on Chicago’s lineup has been apparent even in his limited playing time. The club has a +6.5 net rating in his 134 minutes on the court; the team’s net rating is just -5.4 in the 1,066 minutes he hasn’t played. That’s easily the biggest on/off-court disparity among Bulls players who have logged at least 100 minutes.

According to head coach Billy Donovan, Ball’s minutes restriction was recently increased to 20 minutes per game (Twitter link via Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune). As long as he remains healthy, that limit should continue to increase.

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The ankle injury Evan Mobley suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Heat isn’t considered serious, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required), who notes that the Cavaliers big man told reporters after the game he was “good.” The Cavs play just one game in the next week, giving Mobley some time to heal, which is good news, since it was evident in the second half on Sunday how much they need him on defense. “He is one of the top five defensive players in the league,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “You lose a guy like that and we had to play some small ball with Dean (Wade) at the five. He was fine, but they just took it to us. We had some spurts because of our talent. But not good enough.”
Sunday’s game was another good one for the Heat‘s current starting lineup of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Haywood Highsmith. As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald observes, substituting Robinson and Highsmith in place of Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic has made a huge different for the team — the new-look starting five has a net rating of +20.8 in 118 minutes together, whereas the old group was -20.8 in 91 minutes. “We got a lot of firepower,” Herro said of the current starting five. “Duncan brings a different element to the lineup. He’s able to create so many different advantages, which has opened up the court for me, Bam and Jimmy. Having Haywood out there as a defensive presence, you don’t have to put me or Duncan on one of the best players. It makes sense.”
It was an eventful week for Heat two-way rookie Keshad Johnson, who made his NBA debut last Monday and was named the G League Player of the Week last Tuesday, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. While Johnson has only made two brief appearances for Miami at the NBA level, the team loves the way the forward has impacted winning with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, according to Erik Spoelstra. “He’s done some dynamic things in terms of his scoring, getting to the rim, his three-point spacing has improved,” the Heat coach said. “Defensively, he’s played a lot of dynamic small ball five. He’s been able to switch and guard different kinds of guys. All of that has been good for his development.”

Luka Doncic, Tyler Herro Named Players Of The Week

December 9th, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week, while Heat guard Tyler Herro has earned the honor in the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).

Doncic, who recently returned from a wrist injury, led the Mavericks to a 3-0 record during the week of December 2-8, putting up 29.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game in wins over Memphis, Washington, and Toronto. He made 14-of-32 three-pointers during those three victories, good for a 43.8% rate.

As for Herro, his week began with a resounding 19-point loss to the defending champions in Boston last Monday, but he and the Heat bounced back in impressive fashion, outscoring the Lakers, Suns, and Cavaliers by a combined 60 points (including a 41-point blowout of L.A.) to finish the week with a 3-1 record.

Herro averaged 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in 33.0 minutes per game across those four contests, posting an excellent shooting line of .507/.436/.875. It’s the first time in his six-year NBA career that he has won a Player of the Week award, whereas it’s Doncic’s 14th such honor.

Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, and Thunder teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the league (Twitter link). In the East, Herro beat out fellow nominees Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Brandon Miller, Evan Mobley, Nikola Vucevic, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.

Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Rozier, Richardson

December 2nd, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Heat forward Jimmy Butler had to leave Sunday’s game in the closing seconds due to pain in his right knee, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. After being fouled on a drive to the basket with 1:27 remaining, Butler took a while to get up and appeared to be favoring the knee. He stayed in a game a little longer, but was taken out with 24.2 seconds left to play and Miami trailing by just three points.

Butler is considered questionable for tonight’s contest in Boston, which brings back memories of last spring when he was unavailable for a playoff series with the Celtics due to a sprained MCL in the same knee. He wasn’t sure about his status as the team prepared for its flight.

“I don’t know,” Butler told reporters. “We’ll see how I feel whenever I wake up in the morning, get all the treatment that I can get and hopefully I’m ready to rock.”

Responding to an offseason challenge from team president Pat Riley, Butler was determined to be available for more regular season games this year, but his body may not be able to hold up at age 35. Chiang notes that he has already missed four of the team’s first 18 games due to a sprained ankle, and any issues with the right knee have to be watched closely. Butler also wasn’t certain if the medical staff is planning an X-ray or MRI on the knee.

“I ain’t even there yet,” he said. “I’m just happy to be able to put this sleeve on, do all this treatment on this plane. Then when we land in Boston, we’ll figure it out.”

[UPDATE: Butler has been ruled out for Monday’s game in Boston.]

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Tyler Herro now ranks second in franchise history for most made three-pointers in a career, Chiang adds. With 808, he passed Tim Hardaway Sunday night and only trails teammate Duncan Robinson, who has 1,056 since signing with the Heat in 2018. “I’ll be chasing him for a while,” Herro said.
The Nets and Warriors were among the teams mentioned in trade rumors involving Butler earlier in the season, but league executives don’t consider him a good fit for Brooklyn because of his age, while Golden State seems happy with its current roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Knicks had some interest in Butler during the offseason, but trade talks didn’t get very far before New York pivoted to Mikal Bridges, Scotto says, adding that there has been some “quiet discourse” about whether the Texas native could end up with the Mavericks or Rockets. He also states that executives who’ve checked on Butler came away believing that Miami wants to save any decision until after the season.
Outside of Butler, the Heat’s top trade assets are future first-round picks and Terry Rozier, Scotto adds. Rozier’s shooting numbers have declined and he was recently moved out of the starting lineup. He’s making $24.92MM this season and next season, and he will get an extra $1.72MM next year if he appears in at least 70 regular season games and his team reaches the second round of the playoffs.
Josh Richardson hasn’t been able to find a role with this year’s team after picking up a $3.1MM player option rather than testing free agency, Chiang states in a separate story. The veteran guard didn’t get off the bench in four straight games before missing Sunday’s contest due to an illness. He also missed time with a strained calf and left heel pain. “It’s been hard,” Richardson admitted. “Frustrating, but it is what it is. I’m just trying to stack days. My shoulder got healthy, trying to get up to speed and get ready and then feet things start popping up. So I’m just trying to get everything in my body on the same page.”

Heat Notes: Butler, Rozier, Jaquez, Richardson, Ware, Burks, Herro

November 23rd, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After a four-game absence due to an ankle sprain, Heat star Jimmy Butler had his best game of the fall in his return to action on Monday, registering season highs in points (30) and rebounds (10) as Miami outscored Philadelphia by 29 points in his 34 minutes of action.

However, Butler may not get an opportunity to build on that momentum when the team resumes its schedule on Sunday vs. Dallas following a five-day layoff. The veteran forward is listed as questionable to play vs. the Mavericks due to an illness, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

While Butler’s status is up in the air, there’s good news elsewhere on the Heat’s injury report, according to Chiang, who says Terry Rozier (right foot discomfort) and Jaime Jaquez (sprained right ankle) are both expected to play on Sunday. Rozier is listed as probable, while Jaquez is considered available. Josh Richardson, who missed Thursday’s practice due to heel pain, isn’t on the injury report either and should be good to go.

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Should the Heat regret drafting Kel’el Ware with the No. 15 pick in this year’s draft, given that Jared McCain (No. 16) and Dalton Knecht (No. 17) have been the most impressive rookies in the NBA so far this season? Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel considers that question, explaining the thinking behind Miami’s selection of Ware. It’s possible the decision to pick Ware will become a draft-day regret reminiscent of when the Heat took Precious Achiuwa a spot ahead of Tyrese Maxey in 2020, Winderman acknowledges. However, he stresses that it’s far too early to pass judgment on the 20-year-old center, who has logged just 48 minutes across eight outings.
Alec Burks, who is on his eighth NBA team, has seen his role fluctuate frequently in recent seasons, so he was unfazed by sitting out for five games in a row and then playing nearly 19 minutes in Monday’s win over the Sixers, as Winderman details for The Sun Sentinel. Burks was a plus-27 with seven points, six rebounds, and three assists in his return to the rotation. “He’s such a great example for young players coming in to always be ready, to be prepared, to understand what the system is and understand how you can bring value,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then not get caught up in all the emotional wild swings of maybe your playing time isn’t going exactly how you want it, or when you’re not getting the offensive opportunities you want. … He’s a pro’s pro. And that gets thrown around often, but when you actually experience it and see it, you really appreciate it.”
Tyler Herro‘s 24.2 points and 5.2 assists per game are career highs. Perhaps more importantly, so are his 48.6% field goal percentage and 45.2% three-point percentage, which are both way above his career rates. Herro’s scoring efficiency has been “a really big thing” for him and the Heat, according to Spoelstra. “You always want to get to a place like this as a player where you’re playing such efficient basketball that there’s an economy of energy that’s happening at the same time,” the Heat head coach said, per Chiang. “He’s not forcing it, he’s not like over-expending energy to do it. He’s just reading the game, reading defenses. He has a confidence level that continues to grow each year, so he knows what he can do, he knows how he can help us.”

Heat Notes: Lineups, Rozier, Robinson, Herro, Tax, Defense

November 21st, 2024 at 7:44pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Injuries have forced the Heat to switch up their starting lineup in recent weeks, but it may have been time for a change anyways, as Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald observes that Miami’s season-opening lineup has the worst net rating of any group that has played at least 90 minutes together this season.

The Heat moved Nikola Jovic to the bench earlier this month and Terry Rozier missed Monday’s game against the Sixers due to a foot injury. That prompted coach Erik Spoelstra to start Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo, a lineup that holds some serious intrigue for continued use, Chiang writes.

“If you look at the core four and then you add [Highsmith] — he’s been with us since the post-COVID year — those are our most experienced guys in our program,” Spoelstra said. “So they understand exactly what we’re trying to get to. Even though we’ve made some adjustments, they know what our core tenets are.”

While those five players have been playing together for several seasons, that specific lineup had only played two minutes this season until Monday. They didn’t play together at all last year, as several members of Miami’s core dealt with injuries. Despite not having much time on the court together, being around each other during the offseason and practices over the years adds up.

“I mean, there’s a lot of continuity there,” Robinson said. “I guess you say we’ve only played together for [a few] minutes. But I’ve logged a lot of hours with JB, I’ve logged a lot of hours with Bam, H, Tyler. We’ve just been on the court a bunch together — practice, games, walkthroughs, everything. So there’s a lot of familiarity there, regardless of the fact that we’ve only played [a few minutes together]. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have that continuity and that connection.”

The Heat may replace Robinson with Rozier when the latter returns from injury but – pending the results of more time spent on the court for this group – they could also opt to move Rozier to the bench. Miami traded a first round pick and Kyle Lowry for Rozier last season.

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The two-man duo of Herro and Robinson has been one of the more impressive units for Miami, Chiang writes in the same piece. Herro is shooting 45.2% from three on 9.7 attempts per game while Robinson is shooting 36.6% on 6.8 attempts. Lineups featuring the duo boast an offensive rating of 124.3, which would rank first in the NBA. “I think at this point, they both understand how they can confuse defenses and they’re finding a sense of joy in playing off each other,” Spoelstra said. “… I think they’ve really embraced that. They’ve both grown with their skill set, both grown with their ability to do it as a screener or as a ball-handler or just moving constantly.” Robinson holds an early termination option worth $19.89MM after this season while Herro is under contract for two more seasons after this one.
The Heat are on track to pay $26.9MM in tax penalties if they don’t trim their payroll before the end of the season, Chiang writes in a separate story. Eric Woolworth, the president of business operations for Miami, recently offered thoughts on the team’s situation on Chris O’Gorman’s “Questions for Cancer Research” podcast (YouTube link). “Nobody wants to pay a luxury tax,” Woolworth said. “Increasingly, it’s super punitive. … Certain teams never pay the tax; they just won’t. I respect that. It’s harder to win if you have that mentality, but I understand either because of market size or philosophy. There are certain teams who don’t seem to mind paying it and are consistently above the tax level and some of those teams have won a lot. And there are teams like us who are sort of opportunistic. … It’s a strategic strike kind of mentality and that’s the way we’ve approached it, and pretty successfully, with three championships and seven Finals appearances. If that’s what it takes to win at any given time, we will go for it. If we can get out [of the tax] and still compete for championships, that’s even better.” Chiang’s sources indicate the Heat are open to making trades at or before the deadline if they can improve the roster.
Alec Burks, Kevin Love and Dru Smith have been among the players leading the charge for Miami’s defensive improvement in the early part of the season, James Jackson of The Athletic writes. Smith, on a two-way deal, has played strong defense without fouling, while Love’s rebounding has helped the Heat improve in that category.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Butler, Herro, Spoelstra

November 16th, 2024 at 5:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat center Bam Adebayo hopes Friday’s performance at Indiana marks the end of his season-long shooting slump, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo has been a model of consistency, shooting better than 50% from the field in each of his first seven NBA seasons. However, he was at just 40.7% through the first 10 games of this season, along with 21.7% from three-point range, while carrying the worst true shooting percentage among the 68 NBA players with at least 140 field-goal attempts.

Adebayo rediscovered his shooting stroke Friday night, going 10-of-17 from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 8-of-9 on free throws. He finished with 30 points, along with 11 rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

“It’s a long season,” he said. ”But just staying with the preparation, staying with the work behind the scenes, not getting down on myself. Like I said before, it’s one of those things where it’s unnatural to see me shoot under 50% every night. So I just keep my same mentality. My teammates are behind me, my coaches are behind me, they know I’m going to make plays and tonight I did that.”

Despite Adebayo’s early offensive struggles, Chiang points out that he remains of the league’s top interior defenders, ranking eighth in defensive estimated plus/minus at +2.2. He’s also averaging three offensive rebounds, two steals and 1.3 blocks per game.

“This is a lesson to all young guys,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You want to change the energy of the ball going in, you focus on all the other things and he was tremendous just in terms of winning basketball, imposing his will the last two games. It resulted in one win. But wow, was he a force of nature in both the Detroit game and the Minnesota game, just really focusing on defending, rebounding, creating triggers for us, rolling hard, offensive rebounding.”

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After missing the past three games with a sprained right ankle, Jimmy Butler has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s rematch at Indiana, Chiang adds. Butler has been traveling with the team on its current road trip and has been getting treatment on the ankle.
Adebayo, Butler and Tyler Herro need more time together to allow the Heat to determine if they can be the core of a successful team, contends Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Adebayo’s slow start and Butler’s injury have prevented the front office from getting a clear picture of their effectiveness together.
Heat players were supportive of Spoelstra after he cost them a game this week in Detroit by calling a timeout that he didn’t have, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Butler, who has occasionally clashed with Spoelstra during their six years together, was among the veteran coach’s most vocal supporters.

Southeast Notes: Daniels, Herro, Spoelstra, Salaün

November 13th, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Entering play on Wednesday, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels‘ has 31 more deflections (76 total) and 15 more steals (36 total) than any other NBA player, establishing himself as one of the league’s very best defenders. He’s also holding his own offensively, averaging a career-high 14.3 points per game on 46.9% shooting.

As Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details, Daniels’ breakout third season is making the Hawks’ return in this summer’s Dejounte Murray trade look better and better.

“Coming here was just was so good for his confidence, both offensively and confidence defensively,” said teammate Larry Nance Jr., who was traded with Daniels from New Orleans to Atlanta. “He’s taking some more gambles now, and obviously they’re paying off. So, I truly could not be happier for a guy that is so deserving of the praise and the opportunity he’s gotten.”

While Nance suggested Daniels has an increased willingness to take gambles on defense, head coach Quin Snyder made it clear that the third-year guard’s impressive defensive numbers aren’t just a result of taking more risks that might hurt the Hawks if they backfire.

“What’s impressive to me about that is, usually when you get that many steals, it’s because you’re gambling,” Snyder said. “You take yourself out of a play. And rarely is he taking himself out of the play. He may not steal the ball, but he’s still in position. He’s calculated with that. He’s just, he’s so focused. And, it’s unusual. You don’t take it for granted that he brings it every night.”

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Ahead of the season, Heat president Pat Riley challenged his team’s top four players to be the best versions of themselves. Tyler Herro is the only one meeting that challenge so far, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who refers to the former Sixth Man of the Year as Miami’s first-month MVP after he put up 40 points in a loss to Detroit on Tuesday. “He’s having a hell of a year,” teammate Bam Adebayo said. “He deserves that All-Star nod. We’ve been pushing him for three or four years to get that nod. He’s healthy, playing at his own pace, making decisions, making plays.”
Head coach Erik Spoelstra took the blame for that overtime loss to Detroit on Tuesday after he tried to call for a timeout the Heat didn’t have in the game’s final seconds, allowing the Pistons to hit a tie-breaking technical free throw. “There’s really no excuse for that,” Spoelstra said (story via The Associated Press). “I’m 17 years in. We had talked about it in the huddle, I knew that we didn’t have anything. I just got emotional and reactive on that and I made just a horrendous mistake there at the end. It’s a shame.”
After starting Tidjane Salaün in place of Miles Bridges for the Hornets‘ first two games after Bridges was diagnosed with a knee bone bruise, head coach Charles Lee turned instead to Grant Williams to take Bridges’ spot on Tuesday, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Still, Salaün played roughly as many minutes off the bench as he did as a starter, and Lee said he’s encouraged by the progress he has seen from the 19-year-old. The Hornets’ coach noted that the speed of the game, the language barrier, and learning a new system and terminology have all been challenges for Salaun, but Lee believes the rookie forward is getting more comfortable. “He’s just getting better with more reps, which makes sense for young guys,” Lee said. “… I love his energy and effort and the competitiveness he plays with every time he’s on the floor.”

Heat Notes: Herro, Haslem, Burks, Adebayo, Richardson, Skyforce

October 30th, 2024 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Udonis Haslem, who holds a position with the Heat as their vice president of basketball development, said in an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today in May that he believes Tyler Herro should come off the bench for the club, then reiterated that point in a September interview. Speaking to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, Herro admitted that he spoke to Haslem about those comments.

“We had a conversation about it,” Herro said. “It was a friendly conversation. I told him my concerns about why I didn’t think he should have said that. He explained why he thought he should have said that. At the end of the day, it’s basketball. Our relationship is bigger than basketball. If he thinks I should start, that’s cool. If he thinks I should come off the bench, that’s his opinion. Everyone has their own. It’s cool. It’s really no big deal.”

Head coach Erik Spoelstra hasn’t taken Haslem’s advice this fall, having made Herro part of his starting lineup for each of the Heat’s first three games. Asked if he’s happy to still be a starter, Herro expressed appreciation for Spoelstra’s decision, as Jackson relays.

“I was hoping to be a starter, so yeah,” he said. “I thought I should start. I don’t think it’s even really a conversation anymore. It’s a narrative people create around me. I’m a starter in the NBA. I’m a team guy. I would love to come off the bench if that’s what was needed. But I’m a starter. It doesn’t take away from anything else that I bring, which is I’m a great teammate. I love seeing other guys have success.”

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It’s unclear how much offseason addition Alec Burks, who was a DNP-CD in the Heat’s first game last Wednesday, will play this season, but Spoelstra likes having the veteran swingman around. Miami’s head coach called Burks “such a pro” after he made three 3-pointers in 25 minutes off the bench on Saturday vs. Charlotte. “You hear that term tossed around so much in our league, but he is a pro’s pro,” Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “He’s professional, he’s ready, he stays prepared, he’s smart, he knows how to fit in and he’s got a great skill set, too. “He can knock down open shots. He gets to open gaps. But he also can handle the ball. So he can be a secondary handler for you. And he’s big, so defensively he fits into the things that we do.”
Honored this week with a statue outside Kaseya Center, former Heat guard Dwyane Wade made it clear that he continues to view Bam Adebayo as the next long-time face of the franchise and a torch-bearer for “Heat culture,” writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
After recovering from shoulder and heel injuries, Heat guard Josh Richardson was active on Monday for the first time this season, but didn’t see any action. Now he’s back on the injury report, according to Chiang, who tweets that the Heat are listing Richardson as questionable due to a left calf strain.
The Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, officially announced a training camp roster that includes former first-round pick Nassir Little and nine-year NBA veteran Tony Snell.

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