MIAMI \u2014 Nothing passive aggressive this time. Not amid the winning. Not with what\u2019s working.<\/p>\n
So Tyler Herro off the bench? Off to a good start, as the Miami Heat reformulate amid health and hope.<\/p>\n
Back for two games<\/a> after missing a month with a rib injury, Herro has transitioned into a reserve role that has boosted Erik Spoelstra\u2019s bench without compromising the rotation.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m coming off the bench right now and it doesn\u2019t really feel like I\u2019m out of place,\u201d Herro said, \u201cbecause we got guys that can start and I\u2019m comfortable in my role and in myself.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019m happy where I\u2019m at.\u201d<\/p>\n Such was not necessarily the case when Herro returned from a toe injury last month off the bench, or when reshuffled to a reserve role after previous absences.<\/p>\n But having appeared in only 11 games before this return, there is an appreciation for what already has been in place, of the momentum that now is the team\u2019s first three-game winning streak of the calendar year and the push to escape the play-in zone of the standings.<\/p>\n So, no, no drama.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now we\u2019re just trying to get him out there,\u201d Spoelstra said of Herro\u2019s return in the back-to-back wins over the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies<\/a>. \u201cWe are going to manage the minutes. I\u2019m not overthinking it. I\u2019m not putting anything in cement. I don\u2019t have a timeline for anything.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re how many ever games into the season right now and we finally have our full roster. We\u2019re just going to try to maximize these next 25 games as much as possible and we just want everybody just to pour into the team, pour into the role, don\u2019t overthink things at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n For Herro it meant 23:19 in Friday night\u2019s return in Atlanta, when he closed with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting and then 22:55 in Saturday night\u2019s home victory over the Grizzlies, when he finished with 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting.<\/p>\n While returning amid a back-to-back set might not have been optimal, Herro said there was an energy to the experience that allowed him to push through.<\/p>\n \u201cI missed, obviously, a lot of time and a lot of time I was just sitting and relaxing and letting my rib heal,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know, so it just feels good to be out here again. I woke up (Saturday) morning like it was the first day of school again, to be able to play another game. So like I\u2019m just excited to be back out here.\u201d<\/p>\n While the Hawks-Grizzlies set was the Heat\u2019s 14th of their league-high 17 back-to-back sets this season, it was just Herro\u2019s second run through such a pairing.<\/p>\n With Davion Mitchell missing Saturday due to illness, it afforded Spoelstra the opportunity to insert Herro back into the starting mix. Instead, Spoelstra gave rookie Kasparas Jakucionis his ninth start, with the Heat now having altered their starting lineups in each of their past 10 games.<\/p>\n ASK IRA: Will Myron Gardner spark the Heat, or get someone killed out there? <\/a> Winderman\u2019s view: Spoelstra maximizes toy chest in another Heat victory <\/a> Heat win third in a row, with Grizzlies seemingly without issue in taking the loss <\/a> The Heat\u2019s court already named in his honor, Pat Riley to get Lakers statue Sunday <\/a> Ira Winderman: Tank would not have been empty for Heat, as NBA eyes Lottery Lane <\/a><\/p>\n After a pair of false starts this season with Herro returns, having missed the start of the season following September ankle surgery, the approach has been pragmatic, with a longer view in mind.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, it\u2019s been a unique season for him,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cWe know how competitive he is. We know how much he wants to be out there. But those are the things you can\u2019t control.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we have never forgotten about the talent that he brings. He changes our dynamic quite a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n For now, that change is as a reserve.<\/p>\n But it doesn\u2019t mean another change is not in the offing.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want to get out here and play with the whole team, get comfortable, and just stack some healthy games together,\u201d Herro said. \u201cJust try to play a stretch of games where I\u2019m healthy. That\u2019s all that\u2019s on my mind.\u201d<\/p>\nRelated Articles<\/h2>\n