Tyler Herro (neck spasms) out again Monday vs. Pistons, but ‘getting close’ to return
The Miami Heat will again be without starting guard Tyler Herro on Monday.
Herro (neck spasms) will not be available for the Heat in Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. The start time of the Heat-Pistons matchup at AmericanAirlines Arena on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which was originally scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., has been moved to 8 p.m because of the league’s health and safety protocols.
It marks the second consecutive game Herro has missed because of the neck injury. Herro, 20, has averaged 17.6 points on 46.9 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 10 games this season.
“He’s making good progress,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Herro before Monday’s game. “The last 48 hours have been really good for him. So we just want him to continue to trend in this direction. He’s getting better. He’s getting close.”
The Heat will also be without All-Star wing Jimmy Butler and veteran guard Avery Bradley, who have both been ruled out for the fourth consecutive game because of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols.
Heat center Meyers Leonard is also unavailable Monday because of a left shoulder strain. It marks the fourth consecutive game he has missed with the injury.
Without Herro and Butler, the Heat is missing two starters.
The Heat will have 13 available players Monday: Precious Achiuwa, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, Moe Harkless, Udonis Haslem, Andre Iguodala, Kendrick Nunn, KZ Okpala, Kelly Olynyk, Duncan Robinson, Chris Silva, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
That’s still a big improvement from last week, when Miami was forced to play two games with the NBA minimum of eight available players because of COVID-19 issues. Six of the eight Heat players who missed those two games because of the league’s health and safety protocols returned on Saturday: Adebayo, Dragic, Harkless, Haslem, Nunn and Okpala.
Following Monday’s contest, the Heat begins a four-game trip on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors in Tampa. That trip also includes another game against the Raptors on Friday, before it comes to an end with two straight games against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday and next Monday.
It’s not yet known if Butler, Bradley, Herro and/or Leonard will be available for the upcoming trip.
This story was originally published January 18, 2021 at 6:15 PM.
