Heat Rumors: Tyler Herro Expected to Return from Injury in NBA Finals; G3 Targeted

Not only are the Miami Heat riding high from Monday's victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but they will also reportedly receive some reinforcements for their NBA Finals matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report, Tyler Herro is targeting Game 3 for a return from his fractured hand as he continues "ramping up workouts."

That Herro hasn't played since Game 1 of Miami's first-round win over the Milwaukee Bucks only underscores how improbable the team's run from the play-in tournament to the NBA Finals has been these playoffs.

After all, he was the team's third-leading scorer during the regular season and finished just 0.3 points per game behind Bam Adebayo for second.

Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from deep. His ability to shoot from three-point range was critical when defenders collapsed on Jimmy Butler and Adebayo, and the Heat have missed that in the postseason.

Yet others have filled the void during his absence.

Nobody has done so better than Caleb Martin, who finished one vote shy of Butler in the race for the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He was brilliant in Monday's deciding game with 26 points and 10 rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting for his second straight double-double.

Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson have also played well at times during the playoffs, but Herro's return could mean smaller roles for that trio against the Nuggets.

It is an ideal problem to have, though, for Miami, as it looks to find playing time for important members of a supporting cast who will need to play up to their potential if they are going to defeat a red-hot Denver team that just swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.