Ira Winderman: How will Heat's Herro fit? A needless question on so many levels.

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Nov 23, 2025

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Based on some of the discourse in recent weeks, if you didn’t know better you’d think calamity was about to consume the Miami Heat.

After all, how will Tyler Herro’s imminent return from September ankle surgery impact what has a rejuvenating return to competitiveness by Erik Spoelstra’s team?

Um … by making a good team better?

Yes, adjustments will have to be made, certainly in the lineup, arguably in the rotation, perhaps even in the playing style.

But All-Stars make teams better. That’s NBA 101.

Granted, on teams that already are loaded, bursting at the seams with star talent, adding or injecting into the mix can be a delicate process. Such were the assessments that had to be made by the Heat with the additions of Shane Battier, Ray Allen, even Chris “Birdman” Andersen during the Big Three era of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

This Heat mix is not that Heat mix, but rather a roster in need of more to even consider competing at such levels.

Enter Herro, who could be back as soon as Monday night’s home game against the Dallas Mavericks, or perhaps later during the impending four-game homestand.

He will make this Heat roster better.

And better is good.

As for any concerns, that’s where the coaching staff and the front office step in to alleviate so Herro can elevate.

The offensive mix

At the moment, the Heat arguably have a singular go-to perimeter scorer, with all due respect to the contributions of Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and others.

Each from that group can provide a basket when needed.

Norman Powell provides baskets, plural, as he did in his 17-point fourth quarter with the game in the balance Wednesday night against Golden State Warriors.

But that also can be a grueling challenge over the course of an 82-game season, or at least what is left of it.

Enter Herro, who soon will leave defenses with pick-your-poison decisions when it comes to double teams and defensive overloads at such late-game moments of truth.

With Powell and Herro both elite spacers and shooters, there is little reason to believe that Powell-Herro won’t thrive in such moments.

The defensive dilemma

Neither Herro nor Powell are known for their defensive chops. So the concerns are legitimate.

But such concerns also can be mitigated with a lineup rounded out with defenders, such as Wiggins, Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. In such a lineup, it would be as basic as Herro taking the assignment of the lesser of the opposing scorers and Powell the next least-efficient opposing scorer.

Yes, such an approach could have Mitchell out of the initial mix, but that also is only the initial mix.

At closing time, should defense stand as the priority, the Heat still can choose from the defensive chops of Adebayo, Ware, Wiggins, Mitchell, Pelle Larsson and Dru Smith.

It is a roster that can compensate for both Herro and Powell at defensive moments of truth.

The ego element

Among the reasons things got so ugly so quickly last season with Jimmy Butler, was that Adebayo was granted a maximum extension at the moment that window opened, while Butler was put on hold. Eventually, joy was lost.

While that could become a storyline should the Heat choose to extend Powell during his ongoing extension window, while not extending Herro in a window that closed Oct. 20, the same type of ego does not appear at play here.

Powell has been effusive about how Herro will make the team better, with Herro having gushed about how Powell has kept the team afloat.

With positive results, both could wind up paid, neither seemingly petty enough to let timing get in the way.

The big picture

With the NBA trading deadline not until Feb. 5, the Heat will have more than two months to test drive the Powell-Herro dynamic.

Come February, it is possible if the Heat do choose to move on from one of the two, it could be a factor more of the remainder of the roster.

In other words, whether Powell-Herro works or not, a greater priority than dual wing scorers could be shoring up a power rotation that has had its wobbly moments.

Ironically, that could, in an obtuse way, put the 2025-26 future of the Powell-Herro pairing in the hands of Nikola Jovic, and whether he can stand as a needed third wheel in the power mix.

For now, there is only one reality with a Herro return: it will make the Heat better.