As the Miami Heat get a break from basketball action, they have an opportunity to regroup and snap a four-game losing streak, with Tyler Herro continuing to be of importance.
Whenever a team goes through a tough stretch, narratives and opinions tend to spin all over the place, including on social media, which is what's happening with the Miami Heat fanbase. After starting the season strong and being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, there's been a dip in production and in wins. They currently have a 14-11 record, the same as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, putting them all in the play-in tournament slots.
However, "Heat Nation" believes all the faults lie on one player's shoulders: Tyler Herro. The All-Star guard was sidelined to the start of the season after recovering from an offseason left ankle surgery. Before his initial return, the Heat had an 11-6 record and were riding a four-game winning streak.
On Nov. 24th, Herro was cleared to play against the Dallas Mavericks at home, and finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and three steals in 29 minutes. Then, in the following game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the 24-year-old recorded 29 points, including three three-pointers made, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in 32 minutes. It was almost as if Herro was never sidelined.
However, things began to take a turn for the worse, as the Heat lost five of the next six games. The offense has been struggling throughout that span, especially from behind the arc, shooting below 30 percent in three of those losses. What's not being mentioned about the Heat's current four-game losing streak is that Herro has only appeared in two of them.
Erik Spoelstra alluded to the importance of having him "back into the mix."
"I just like us having a full group to work through this," he told Heat RoundTable. "Tyler has elite offensive skill-talent that we need. What we want to do, we need all of our guys playing at a high level. The more weapons you can have, the better."
Spoelstra also described the fanbase's pinpoint towards Herro as an "overreaction."
The former lottery pick has shown that he can fit alongside the fast-paced offense and contribute to winning, but the adjustments will take time and sometimes involve growing pains.
The Heat will host the Toronto Raptors on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, with an opportunity to get back to winning ways.
More Miami Heat News:
- "Heat Potentially 'Working' Towards Giannis Antetokounmpo Package"
- "Heat's 'High Disappointing' Outing Cancels Las Vegas Business Trip"
- "LeBron James Shares His True 'Peak' Over Heat Tenure"
- "Heat Reportedly Expressed 'Internal' Interest In Former Star"