The Miami Heat have announced major injury and status updates to the likes of star Tyler Herro , Kevin Love, and the newly acquired signing of Patty Mills. Since the seven-game losing skid that ended in late January, the Heat have made a huge turnaround as they have won 11 of their last 14 games.
However, they will still be without Herro and Love as they both will not travel with the team to Dallas for a Thursday road matchup against the Mavericks according to the team’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account. Herro has missed the last five games due to a couple of issues where it was a hyperextended knee, but it is now a nagging foot injury that is specifically labeled as “right foot medial tendinitis.”
It’s the same little area that I dealt with in the past with my right foot in my rookie year. It’s the same thing as that. So we’re really trying to manage it right now,” Herro said to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
There is not currently a timetable for Herro’s return to the team as while they didn’t rule him out for the tail-end of the back-to-back against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, they said they didn’t travel for the roadtrip. However, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said that they are not “saving” him for the postseason.
It’s managing where he is right now and once it feels right and gets past the protocols, he’ll play,” Spoelstra said before the game against the Pistons. “No, we’re not saving anybody for the playoffs. We got a lot of work to do to make sure we get in.”
Kevin Love
As for Kevin Love, Thursday and Friday will mark the fourth and fifth consecutive games that he will be absent as he is suffering from a right heel bruise suffered in the win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Love has become an integral piece for the Heat since obtaining through the buyout market last season.
He has become the backup center for star Bam Adebayo and has been a reliable player for Spoelstra. Time and time again, the head coach has called Love a “connector of all connectors.”
think the transition that he’s made at this stage of his career, most former All-Stars can’t or aren’t willing to do it,” Spoelstra said earlier in the season. “And he’s really a star in that kind of role. He’s really important for our group because he’s the connector of all connectors. He’s really like our emotional leader.”
“He just wants to win at this stage of his career, he just wants to do whatever it takes, however he can help to get our team to win,” Spoelstra continued. “And there’s a karma to that if you’re pure with your intentions. And even at this stage, it’s a sacrifice. But he’s willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team and it’s a great example for everybody else to try to do what we’re trying to do. I love the role that he’s carving out right now.”
Patty Mills signing official by the Heat
Also announced Wednesday by the Heat was the official signing of former Atlanta Hawks guard Patty Mills who was bought out of his contract. While the move was a head-scratcher for fans, the news of Heat’s Josh Richardson being out for the rest of the season with shoulder surgery provided a lot of reason.
“I can’t comment about anything but we love our depth and love the versatility that we have on our team and that’s one of our strengths for sure,” Spoelstra said before Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons when asked about the team’s depth at guard.
Mills will travel with the Heat during the road trip and will get started to acclimate with his new team. He bolsters Miami depth at guard and adds major veteran leadership, having been in the league for 15 seasons with a huge playoff resume.
The Heat are 35-26 on the season which puts them sixth in the tightly packed Eastern Conference. They now start a back to back Thursday as they will face the Mavericks then the Thunder on Friday before returning home to play the Washington Wizards Sunday.
