Heat’s Herro still trying to fit in during return even as he stands out

MIAMI — Tyler Herro makes clear he already is having fun, the Miami Heat 2-0 since his return from September ankle surgery. It’s just that he wants to join in on the other fun, the relentless scoring pace established by teammates prior to his return.

In his two games back, Herro has led the Heat in scoring in each, with 24 points against the Dallas Mavericks and 29 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

But in those two games, the Heat scored 106 points, as in 17 points below the team’s scoring average going into Saturday night’s home game against the Detroit Pistons, as in two of the Heat’s three lowest-scoring games of the season (they scored 101 in a road loss to the San Antonio Spurs).

“I want to score 150, as well,” Herro said with a smile, with the Heat having scored in the 140s four times this season, yet to reach Herro’s target number. “That looked a lot of fun from the bench.”

It is a style Herro had not been part of during his first six seasons, a style no one on the Heat played prior to coach Erik Spoelstra overhauling the offense during the offseason.

“So I’m trying to make it work,” Herro said. “I’m not here to take over the offense or do anything. I told all the guys to just continue to play the same way and I’ll find my spots and fit in as I can.

“I want everybody to continue to play the same way they were playing before me. And, like I said, I want to score a lot of points, as well.”

So even with his team playing at pace, Spoelstra also is preaching patience when it comes to the return of his All-Star guard.

“Look, it’ll take a little bit of time,” Spoelstra said, just as the Heat went through growing pains during the preseason. “The last two games, it’s not because of Tyler coming back. It’s because teams will try to scheme against what we’re trying to do. Teams will try to slow us down and we just need to be better at what we do.”

The fact that Herro has been able to get up to speed so quickly with his own offense speaks volumes, Spoelstra said.

“It’s not an easy thing to be out a significant amount of time and then to come back and look like he hadn’t missed a day,” Spoelstra said. “But that’s a credit to his work. He does everything full speed – every rep is like a live rep, whether he’s going 1-on-0 or whether he has a coach working against him. So it gets him in rhythm much quicker.”

Herro said he is appreciative of being able to find his footing while also trying to get in lockstep with the team’s new offense.

“My teammates and my coaches, they’ve allowed me to come back and play my game, trying to just be efficient, win games,” he said.

“It’s going to be a work in progress. I didn’t have a training camp or preseason games. I didn’t have anything with this team. I kind of just got thrown right into the fire.”

Already, Herro said, there are comfort zones in the new offense.

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“Play off the catch, I did that last year, as well. What I’m feeling right now, just trying to play off the catch and trying to create advantages in transition, where I can get downhill or get to my spot before the defense gets set,” he said. “And then in the halfcourt, just trying to make the right play.

“I feel like as I get my legs and my feet under me, I’m going to be able to playmake more and get into the paint more. My foot, it’s healthy, but I still have to strengthen my foot and feel fully comfortable jumping off my foot, exploding off my foot. So it’s still a process. It’s going to be a process for a couple of weeks until I can fully feel comfortable.”

All of which has been eased by the pair of victories in his return that has the Heat’s season-best winning streak at six.

“I want it to work, doing everything I can to make it work,” Herro said of fitting in while also standing out. “And I’m just excited to see where this goes. And another test on Saturday.”