Tyler Herro and Moe Harkless in Heat starting lineup to open season vs. Magic
Guard Tyler Herro begins his second NBA season as a Miami Heat starter.
The Heat opens the season with a starting lineup of Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Moe Harkless and Bam Adebayo on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center.
Herro, 20, started only eight of the 55 regular-season games he appeared in as a rookie last season. He made five starts in the playoffs, all coming in the NBA Finals after veteran guard Goran Dragic went out because of a torn plantar fascia in his left foot that he suffered in Game 1 of the championship series.
Dragic will begin this season as a reserve, a role he played for most of the regular season as the Heat’s sixth man last season before he moved into the starting lineup in the playoffs.
Harkless, who signed with the Heat as a free agent this offseason, remains in the starting lineup after starting both of Miami’s preseason games. He started 48 total games while splitting last season with the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks.
Wednesday represents this five-man group’s first game action together, as Butler did not play in the preseason.
The Heat’s bench is left with Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, Precious Achiuwa, Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk, KZ Okpala, Avery Bradley, Andre Iguodala, Chris Silva and Udonis Haslem. Two-way contract players Gabe Vincent and Max Strus are inactive.
Following Wednesday’s season opener in Orlando, the Heat returns to AmericanAirlines Arena for its home opener on Christmas Day against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
