SAN ANTONIO — When it comes to ankle surgery, small steps can be meaningful steps.
So there, after the Miami Heat completed their morning shootaround at Frost Bank Center, was guard Tyler Herro getting up shots off passes from assistant coach Chris Quinn.
While the timetable hasn’t changed – at least in the form of an official update – the reality is that this four-game western swing marks the first time Herro has traveled with the team since training camp.
At the time of Herro’s Sept. 19 surgery to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle, the Heat announced “Herro is expected to miss around eight weeks.”
The eight-week estimate would have Herro back Nov. 15.
For now, it is just acclimating again on the road, with the Heat’s trip opening with Thursday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs and continuing with games against the Los Angeles Lakes, Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
From there, there would be five more games before Nov. 15.
In addition to Herro, rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who is sidelined with a groin issue, also made the trip.
“Yeah, it’s good for them,” coach Erik Spoelstra said after the morning shootaround. “For us, sure, it’s always good to have them around. But I think it just speeds up the whole process when they’re around the guys, around the game, around the whole travel routine, and participating in some of the things that they can do, which they did this morning.”
Herro was not made available for comment.
Also on the trip is guard Norman Powell, who missed Tuesday night’s victory over the Charlotte Hornets with a strained right groin.
“I’m feeling good, better than previous days,” said Powell, who first began to experience the discomfort at Tuesday’s shootaround at Kaseya Center. “So just taking it day by day. Excited for the trip.”
Powell’s thoughts
Of Jamaican lineage and a member of Jamaica’s national basketball team, Powell stressed Thursday that his thoughts are with those dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
“Yeah, I mean, prayers out to everybody affected in Jamaica. Crazy. Heartbreaking,” Powell said. “Obviously going to support and provide help with the relief efforts in Jamaica through my foundation, Understand the Grind Foundation. Hearts and prayers out to them.
“I’ve been checking on the guys on the national team and family that I do have there. Thankfully, everybody’s safe for the most part. Still waiting to hear back on damages and the situation for them. A lot of flooding and stuff so they can’t access those areas. Still talking to them, being very active and making sure they’re good and helping them in any way I can. It’s definitely heartbreaking and tough to deal with something like that.”
Height differential
With second-year Spurs center Victor Wembanyama now officially listed at 7 feet 5, it means the height difference with Heat center Bam Adebayo (6-9) is the same as between Adebayo and Heat point guard Dru Smith (6-2).
Adebayo said considering he has gone up against Boban Marjanovic (7-4), Bol Bol (7-3) and Brook Lopez (7-1), it’s all in a day’s work.
“Considering we have Boban in our league, people forget about Boban, Bol Bol. Who else is a skyscraper? Brook Lopez is a skyscraper to me. We have tall people in our league,” he said.
Fine issued
Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was fined $35,000 Thursday for the middle finger displayed to a referee during Charlotte’s Tuesday loss to the Heat. Ball was assessed a technical foul for the gesture with 4:02 left in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 144-117 victory.
