MIAMI — The issue has been one more of speculation than of substance until Tyler Herro formally addressed the elephant in the room.
Now back practicing, and therefore now again having been made available to the media, the seventh-year guard finally had the opportunity to discuss the Heat’s new offense and his fit.
The upshot? Bring it on.
Still sidelined from his September ankle surgery, Herro has had a front-row seat to the Heat’s high-octane offensive approach.
It is, he said, among the elements fueling his desire to get back as soon as possible, with no adjustments needed.
“Nothing, nothing,” he said. “I think I’m going to be myself, play how I played last season, the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that.
“Yeah, I know how to play fast. I’ve played fast my entire life until I came to Miami.”
Since his arrival as a first-round pick out of Kentucky, Herro has played in a variety of systems and a variety of roles, from mid-range specialist to being coaxed only to attempt at the arc or at the rim, to playing at a crawl to accommodate the halfcourt stylings of since departed Jimmy Butler.
“I’ve adjusted to play with other players and I know how to play in this offense,” Herro said, still idle with the Heat hosting the New York Knicks on Monday night at Kaseya Center. “That’s the beauty of me. I can play in any offense. That’s just it, that’s what I can do.”
For those who have doubts, Herro referred the skeptics to his collegiate and scholastic play.
“Playing fast, getting up and down, that’s my style of basketball since I stepped on the court,” he said.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra envisions something seamless.
“That’s easy to figure out,” he said of when Herro returns. “His skill level, he’s one of the most skilled guys in the league. It’s going to fit, it’s going to add. We miss him dearly.
“That offensive talent, playmaking, scoring, he can play fast, all of that really fits well.”
As for potentially stepping on the toes of Norman Powell, who has stepped in to take over as the Heat’s scoring leader, Herro said that also is a non-issue.
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“I don’t expect anything else to change,” Herro said. “He’s a hell of an offensive player and he’s going to continue to do that for us the whole season. It opens up a lot for our offense.”
From distance
Three days after practicing with the Heat at Kaseya Center, former Heat captain Udonis Haslem still found himself giving tips from Prime’s NBA studio in Los Angeles in the wake of that network’s broadcast of Heat-Knicks.
Immediately after watching the Heat being dominated on the boards by Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, Haslem texted Heat center Kel’el Ware.
Heat center Bam Adebayo said he was not surprised, with Haslem also with a Heat front-office title.
“You respect somebody that is so selfless,” Haslem said. “He’s doing something completely different on the broadcast, and still texting guys, telling ’em what he sees and then still trying to impact our culture.”
Jakucionis debut
Heat first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis was as uneven as his team in his pro regular-season debut, a 152-112 Sunday loss by the Heat’s G League affiliate to the Chicago Bulls’ affiliate.
The No. 20 pick out of Illinois in last June’s draft, had not seen competitive action since a preseason groin injury.
Jakucionis went 21:49 in Sunday’s loss in suburban Chicago, closing with 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting that included 2 of 5 on 3-pointers. Amid concerns about erratic playmaking, he closed with two assists and six turnovers. He also had seven rebounds and four fouls.
