'Not there yet:' Miami Heat's Tyler Herro ruled out for Game 1 of NBA Finals
Tyler Herro has been ruled out for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
On Wednesday, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed that the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year will not be ready to suit up when the Heat head to Denver to take on the Nuggets in the first game of the championship series.
"He will not play tomorrow," Spoelstra said during the NBA Finals Media Day. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves right now. He's still just starting this (ramp-up) process. We do have a few days here just to continuous work. I can't even make any kind of proclamation until he takes these next important steps, and that's with contact and doing things more on the court live."
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TYLER HERRO breaks right hand in playoff opener
Herro had surgery after breaking his right shooting hand while diving for a loose ball in Game 1 of the Heat's Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks in April. He was expected to be out four to six weeks. “That’s the hope. Get to the finals and I can get back for that," Herro said at the time.
The Heat went on to beat the Bucks (4-1), the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals (4-2) and the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals (4-3), leaving room for Herro's return.
Herro has been ramping up his workouts preparing to return to the court, but Spoelstra said he's "not there yet."
"We're all encouraged by his progress that he's made, but we want to continue to be responsible and make the best decisions," Spoelstra said on Wednesday. "We'll just see."
TNT's Chris Haynes reported that Herro is expected to return for Game 3 of the NBA Finals next week. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists during the regular season.
Herro wasn't the only significant injury the Heat sustained: Victor Oladipo tore his left patellar tendon in Game 4 against the Bucks, ending his season.