INDIANAPOLIS – Tyler Herro did not want to stop, did not want to appear that he was giving up or giving in to the medial tendinitis in his right foot.
But only when things came to a standstill did Herro regain his footing. Now back in the Miami Heat mix, the fifth-year guard appreciates how stepping back allowed him to step into this playoff race.
“It was just frustrating to just sit down and not be able to be active and traveling and doing my routine,” he said ahead of the middle stop of the Heat’s three-game trip on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “I’m a big workout guy. I love to work out and stay on top of my game, and it’s tough to do that when I just had to rest.”
So after being sidelined during the Heat’s Feb. 23 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Herro first attempted what he thought would be a path of least resistance.
“I took a week off when we got back from the West Coast trip,” Herro said of the trip that started in New Orleans, “hoping that that was going to be enough for me to come back, and it wasn’t.
“I ramped up and then ultimately that’s what made us decide to get the PRP shot, because the rest wasn’t cutting it.”
As in a platelet-rich plasma injection.
“So the PRP shot was kind of bringing it some extra reinforcement, to kind of hopefully release some pressure on the tendon,” he said. “And I was able to do that with some weeks of rest after the PRP shot. And, ultimately, that’s what got me back on the floor.”
So, no, he neither planned nor opted for 20 games off. Instead, the initial haste might have proven counterproductive.
“I think trying to ramp up and get back every week, and then there’s like a setback and then eventually I just had to sit down and rest,” he said.
Teammate Bam Adebayo said Herro’s frustrations were apparent.
“He was like a sad puppy when he couldn’t play,” Adebayo said with a smile. “So it’s good to have him over there smiling.”
And again in uniform.
“He stayed ready,” Heat forward Jimmy Butler said. “He stayed engaged and was still around the guys as often as he could be. And he came in and took off right where he left off.”
While there is not a specific minutes restriction in place, playing Herro off the bench in Friday’s return against the Houston Rockets provided the means to have Herro available when needed late.
Friday’s bench appearance was the first for Herro in 103 games, since being named the NBA’s 2022 Sixth Man of the Year.
“I can contribute in five minutes or 35 minutes. I just need to be on the court,” he said. “Just an excitement to be back on the floor doing what I love with my guys.
“It’s hard to just implement me into the starting lineup at this point.”
Coach Erik Spoelsta, of course, rarely tips his hand when it comes to lineups, rotations or certainly postseason plans.
“Whatever Spo decides to do is ultimately up to him,” Herro said. “It’s not an easy decision,
“Obviously, everyone knows I’m a starter in the league. But like I said, to come back with six games left, it’s tough to just implement me into the lineup like that.”
That said, Herro sees a compromise.
“Ultimately, I’m going to get starter minutes, and that’s all that matters,” he said “I’m a starter, but I’ll come off the bench for now.”