Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Herro out of COVID-19 protocols
MIAMI — A key member of the Heat rejoined the team on Tuesday as thirdyear guard Tyler Herro exited the league’s COVID-19 protocols after being sidelined on Jan. 19.
“He had been pushing for the last three days to get back into the mix,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He felt great but that’s just the deal. Got to follow the NBA protocols.”
Herro said he experienced some symptoms while out with COVID-19, saying he had a cough and body aches.
Instead of being with the Heat, Herro watched Miami play on TV, frustrated that he was stuck at home.
“I hate sitting around and not being able to move,” Herro said. “So I was in the house all week, sitting around and watching games on TV.”
The 22-year-old guard is averaging 20.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and four assists this season.
With Herro back, forward Chris Silva will be ineligible for the remainder of his 10-day contract unless another player enters COVID-19 protocols.
Herro missed three games — two wins and a loss — and will be back for the Heat’s game against the rival New York Knicks on Wednesday.
“Good thing we got some wins,” Herro said, “but I’m happy to be back.”
Hoping for All-Stars
The NBA will announce the 2022 All-Star Game starters on Thursday, and several Miami players are in the mix to be on the roster.
Herro and forwards Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler are in the mix for the game at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Feb. 20, and other players could be in the mix for skills competitions.
“It would be cool, obviously,” Herro said. “But who knows what’s going to happen? We’ve got four or five guys you could argue should be in the All-Star Game.”
Butler and Adebayo have earned All-Star spots before, but Herro is looking for his first trip.
“I hope Tyler gets in,” Adebayo said. “I really think Tyler is having an All-Star-caliber year. That’s my opinion, the whole organization thinks it. Him and Jimmy and Kyle (Lowry).”
But even if some players miss out on a spot in Cleveland, Spoelstra said not being picked
might not be too rough of a fate for some of the team’s more experienced players.
“It just depends on who you ask,” Spoelstra said. “Some of our wily veterans would probably rather have a weekend in the sun, and they’ve probably been in the game and been able to celebrate that in the right way.”
No update on Lowry
Spoelstra said there is no update on when Kyle Lowry would return to the Heat’s roster.
Lowry has been out since Jan. 16 due to personal reasons, missing four games.
The 35-year-old guard has played in 39 games, averaging 13.4 points, 8.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds.
Morris ‘doing more’
Power forward Markieff Morris is getting closer to returning to the Heat’s active roster, Spoelstra said Tuesday.
“He’s doing more,” Spoelstra said. “I’m not going to give an official update . ... He was able to go through [Tuesday’s] practice. I like his progress.”
Morris has been out since suffering a neck injury against the Nuggets on Nov. 8. He has played in only 10 games for the Heat this season. Morris also spent time in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Kobe anniversary
Miami’s Wednesday game against the Knicks will mark the two-year anniversary of NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant’s death.
Despite never playing for Miami, Bryant is still a frequent name who comes up in the Heat locker room.
“I can’t believe it’s already been two years,” Spoelstra said. “It really is amazing just in casual conversation how much his name comes up in our locker room. You hear guys talking about him.”
Adebayo said the late Lakers star’s influence is still felt.
“It still feels unreal to me,” Adebayo said. “Growing up, I was always a Kobe fan, so it still feels unreal. I always send out condolences to his family and everybody impacted throughout that event. It’s one of those things that you think about all day and you still can’t believe it happened. I don’t think anybody will still actually process that he’s gone. We’ve got so many videos of wise words, him impacting women’s sports and just being a big advocate for that.
“We have so many things that Kobe has done that we can always look back on, so it feels like he’s never gone.”