Q: Ira, although the 76ers game was disappointing, an interesting thing happened. Tyler Herro (finally healthy) took the place of Norman Powell and somewhat reminded everyone that he is simply a better, more complete offensive player than Norm. And when he is on the court without other minus defensive players, his defensive weaknesses can be mitigated. I think the Heat need to be considering how low Herro may be willing to accept as an extension to stay in sunny South Florida. If you can get him at a bargain, which seems very possible then you have money to go after a whale or even another All-Star. This time, go after one that plays defense and shoots threes, so he actually complements Bam Adebayo and Herro, or better yet, they can complement him. This is not an indictment of Norm. I love his game. I just think he wasn’t the right fit to play with Bam and Herro. If I had to choose one, I’d choose Herro over Norm (assuming the bargain is in place). What do you think? – Eric, Davie.
A: A lot to unpack here. First, these days you don’t get anyone “at a bargain,” especially a player one year removed from being an All-Star. But in this case, that doesn’t matter, because after such an abbreviated Herro season, the Heat simply have to wait to see greater durability, meaning deferring the contract decision. The problem with seeing if Norm, Tyler and Bam can coexist is that to this point the three have played a grand total of 145 total minutes together. So does it work? Who knows? The bottom line is because Tyler has one more year on his contract and Norman will be a free agent without an extension, it would seem such timing would have Tyler as the priority, anyway, let alone because of his youth. For now, Norman’s groin issue only further clouds the future — while also opening the door for Herro with the opportunity to do more. In many ways, Tyler’s time is at hand with Norm out at least a week, if not longer.
Q: I said the other day it is a stale product. Any fan of the last few years could predict how the end of that 76ers game would unfold. Bam Adebayo would play well but is not that give-me-the-darn-ball guy down the stretch. Tyler Herro would have flashes of scoring followed by stretches of costly turnovers. Yawn. – Tom.
A: In Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, the 76ers have closers. The Heat do not have anyone of that pedigree, particularly with Jimmy Butler no longer part of the equation. Stars, or even more to the point, superstars, take such matters into their own hands. That is something the Heat have lacked this season, be it because of injuries or otherwise. So nothing at the end against Milwaukee. Nothing at the end against Philadelphia. Next we get to see if Tyler Herro’s closing magic can be reconjured.
Q: As a season-ticket holder of over 20-plus years we are considering not renewing, because watching the Heat is like listening to a broken record play over and over and over, and it’s getting old. – Brian, Miami Shores.
A: I’ve been getting a bunch of these lately, but obviously it’s beyond the control of this space. I think it is important to make your thoughts and position clear to your season-ticket representative and ask that your insights be forwarded to basketball operations.