Heat's Tyler Herro Won't Play Game 1 of NBA Finals vs. Nuggets amid Hand Injury

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro will not play in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals because of his lingering hand injury, coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters Wednesday.

"He's not there yet," Spoelstra said.

Herro suffered a fractured hand during the Heat's first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. No formal timetable has been given to his return, but B/R's Chris Haynes reported Herro is targeting Game 3 in Miami.

"There's a little soreness in my hand still," Herro told reporters. "But it's all just post-surgery scar tissue and stuff like that, that I'm trying to work through right now. I would love to come back for the Finals, but we'll see how my hand feels. It feels good. I'm feeling good."

Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game during the regular season, playing as a full-time starter for the first time in his career. He's been an inconsistent playoff performer over the last four seasons, emerging during the Heat's run in the 2020 bubble before largely disappointing in 2021 and 2022.

Miami has clearly found a rhythm without Herro, becoming the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to reach the Finals. That's come thanks in large part to the heroics of Jimmy Butler, but Caleb Martin's emergence during the Eastern Conference Finals proved paramount.

It's unclear if Martin would have had the same type of role if Herro was in the rotation, so it'll be interesting to see if the Heat are a little cautious to mess with their rhythm. That said, they're at a clear talent deficit against Denver. Any help—particularly adding a 20-point scorer—is good in a series where Miami is a significant underdog.