Tyler Herro may be replaceable, and the Miami Heat should finally be realizing that with the way they’ve begun this season, particularly on the offensive end of the floor.
This doesn’t mean that Herro is a good player; he is. However, he may not be the star player the Heat needs right now. Miami hasn’t missed much of a beat without Herro in the lineup so far this season, partly due to the acquisition of Norman Powell, and there’s an argument to be made that he may provide greater value to Miami on the trade block than on the floor.
The Heat’s new and improved offense may have revealed a truth about Herro that was not previously evident. It’s the fact that he may not be as important to the team’s future as many believed just a few months ago.
The Heat must choose between Powell and Herro
Powell has done a lot of what the team has asked Herro to do in the past, and the question Miami needs to ask is whether he’s the right star fit for the team. If their start of this season on the offensive end of the floor is any indication, I can’t imagine that the answer to that question is yes.
Because if Powell is able to do even 85 percent of what Herro is asked to do offensively, that could open the door to use Herro to acquire more assets to then be used in the Heat’s pursuit of a superstar player.
That could end up helping the Heat’s future even more than just adding Herro to this lineup.
Again, this is not to say that Herro can’t provide value to this Heat team. In fact, especially when it comes to playmaking, there’s an important role that Herro is going to play when he returns from injury. However, the Heat have quietly installed an offense that may not fit perfectly with how ball-dominant Herro plays.
I can’t help but think that part of the reason Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra decided to reinvent the Heat’s offense was with the hope that they didn’t have to be so reliant on any one player on that end of the floor.
If so, mission accomplished.
But that does leave Herro’s future in a bit of a limbo with the team. It’s the elephant in the room that no one seems to want to talk about, but also one that the Heat will eventually have to deal with.
