MIAMI — For the first time since last season’s playoff humiliation at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tyler Herro was a participant Sunday in a Miami Heat practice.
Out since September ankle surgery, Herro had traveled with the team on recent road trips but was not back into the mix until Sunday’s session at Kaseya Center, previously limited to shooting work on the side.
Still, it proved to be a day of mixed messages regarding the move toward clearance to return to game action.
“It felt great, just being out there with my teammates, being on the court with them first time all season,” Herro said with a smile. “So it felt great to be in the drills.
“My foot is getting better. I’ve been rehabbing around the clock every day since my surgery, trying to get back as soon as I can and I’m looking at about a week or two hopefully, if there are no setbacks. So we’ll see what happens.”
On Sept. 19, Herro underwent what the Heat described as surgery, “to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle.” In the announcement issued that day, the team said, “Herro is expected to miss around eight weeks.”
Friday night’s loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden was the eight-week mark.
Herro at media day on Sept. 29 had spoken of possibly being back during the initial weeks of the season. Based on Sunday’s comments, a return will not come within nine weeks of the surgery, if even then.
“The thing is, there never was a definitive timeline of when I would be back, when I had the surgery,” he clarified. “Everyone was kind of just putting numbers and weeks out there. It all depends on how I feel and how my foot responds. Some people have taken three months to five months with this same surgery. So it just depends on how my foot feels.
“I was hoping it would feel great at six weeks, but at six weeks I was just getting back on the court and starting to move. Ultimately, it just depends how my foot feels. And like I said, I’m doing treatment around the clock to be back on the floor as soon as I can.”
Even out of action, it has been a notable offseason for Herro, who had an Oct. 1-Oct. 20 window for an extension that was not forthcoming. Herro again becomes extension-eligible July 1, still with two seasons left on his Heat contract.
Herro can receive a larger contract extension if named All-NBA. However, to be eligible for such selection, Herro can miss no more than 17 games, having already missed the first 13 of the season. The latest timeline would rule out eligibility for all-NBA.
“I mean every year I try to come in with the mindset of playing the most games possible, not necessarily for accolades or anything like that,” he said. “I just want to be on the floor as much as possible. That’s what they pay me to do.
“Last season I had a very healthy season and this season started weird for me, something I couldn’t really control. So once I’m back on the floor again I’m going to do as much as I can to be out there for every game possible. That’s what I want to do, that’s my goal.’
In addition to Herro returning to practice Sunday, center Bam Adebayo also returned to drill work, after missing the past five games with a toe sprain sustained in the first quarter of the Dec. 5 road loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Adebayo did not indicate a return was imminent, with the Heat hosting the Knicks on Monday night at Kaseya Center.
“I mean that’s up to the training staff,” Adebayo said. “Obviously they’re trying to protect me from myself. But it felt good to just be out there.
“A lot less pain than I had. So working towards getting out there.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra attempted to add perspective on Sunday’s work by Herro and Adebayo.
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“It was great to have him and Bam on that third unit today,” he said of Herro’s return. “That third unit looked like they had a boost of energy and confidence with those two in it.”
Spoelstra offered the comment with a smile.
“So we’ll just keep on building,” he said. “Don’t have a timeline on them, but obviously that’s a big step today.”
An All-Star last season, Herro figures to further juice an offense that has led the NBA in pace but has been uneven recently in its efficiency. The prime questions will be his impact on both the Heat rotation and defense.
Davion Mitchell and Norman Powell have operated as the Heat’s starting backcourt in Herro’s absence, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Pelle Larsson receiving additional playing time and responsibilities in Herro’s absence.
In addition, Dru Smith has moved into a rotation role with Herro out.
With Herro, the Heat had largely operated with a series of pick-and-roll sets that maximized his shooting and scoring. In his absence, the team has moved to an approach that minimizes and practically eliminates such sets.
