Despite the playoffs just starting, the injury bug is already making it’s rounds. The Miami Heat-Milwaukee Bucks series was no exception on Sunday, April 16th. Not only did Bucks superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, leave the game due to a back issue, the Heat also lost one of their key contributors, but for a much longer time. The former Sixth Man of the Year, Tyler Herro, broke his hand in the second quarter while diving for a loose ball. Not only did he break his hand, it is now being reported that he will be out 4-6 weeks. He exited the matchup with a stat-line of 12 points on 5-9 shooting from the field. Miami was already the underdog coming into this series as the 8th seed, but without a scorer who can get hot in a hurry, the uphill battle just got a lot more difficult.
Tyler Herro broke his right hand on this play in the 2nd quarter.
He will not return. pic.twitter.com/4uAQxVcJN8
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) April 16, 2023
Tyler Herro Suffers Broken Hand in Game Against Milwaukee Bucks
Tyler Herro’s Season
Herro had another decent regular season campaign. He finished with comparable number to last year as he came away with 20.1 points, 5.4 total rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. On top of that, Herro also averaged a three-point shooting percentage of 37.8 percent. The former All-Rookie Team member also finished with a career-best 115 offensive rating and showed signs of maturity this year.
He has always been a streaky scorer with the reputation of questionable decision making at times. However, Herro has seemingly exercised a lot of these demons this season. The 6’5 shooting guard has carved out a nice niche for himself in the Miami rotation and has a bright future ahead with the franchise. While the Heat still do possess many weapons on their roster, losing a scorer like Tyler Herro will be a hard asset to replace, especially battling the Milwaukee Bucks who finished with the best record in the NBA.
Why He Will Be Missed
Despite Miami getting the upset in game one, Tyler Herro’s injury still casts a dark shadow over the Heat locker room. As alluded to already, Herro is a player who can heat up at any time and get a bucket when it is needed the most. He has learned to embrace his role and is steadily improving year after year. While the Heat snuck into the playoffs this season, they still do possess a deep roster and Tyler Herro is a main staple of their depth chart.
He is the third highest scorer on the team and is one of the few offensive weapons that can provide instant offense. A huge positive for a team that finished dead-last in points per game at 109.5. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo already had enough on their plate shouldering the majority of the offensive burden. Now, more will be expected out of the star duo going forward.
