Will Tyler Herro play Game 3 of 2023 NBA Finals? Latest update from Heat coach on star guard's injury

Tyler Herro may not be returning this postseason like he hoped. After breaking his hand in the Miami Heat's first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, there was optimism that Herro could return if the stars aligned.

At the time, Herro made it sound as though he would be able to return if the Heat reached the NBA Finals. Since then, that timeline has seemingly been pushed back. Herro still hasn’t been able to ramp things up to game speed. Following a big Game 2 win on the road on Sunday, many questioned how the rest of the series could play out if Herro returned for Game 3 on Wednesday.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said that Herro hasn't been cleared.

"We're taking it one day at a time," Spoelstra said. "And I know that sounds very cliche: You need to practice with the group. He's gonna do a full-contact workout after this. We'll evaluate that – me, the training staff, later on today, probably tomorrow – and we'll just continue this process.

"He has not been cleared yet, so that's where we are. But we're encouraged by the work that he's been doing."

Tyler Herro discusses his return

Unfortunately for the Miami Heat and their fans, Tyler Herro has also been experiencing pain and swelling in his shooting hand during warm-ups.

Given that the Heat are currently battling for an NBA championship, many believe that Herro wants to return as soon as possible. Although he certainly would like to be back on the court with his teammates, he's also worried about jumping back into things at the 11th hour.

Considering the team has been forced to work around his absence, he expressed after the Game 2 win that he doesn't want to mess with their rhythm. According to Ros Gold-Onqude, who spoke to Herro before the most recent game, there are two concerns regarding the former Sixth Man of the Year's return:

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"I spoke with Tyler Herro ahead his Game 2 pregame routine, and he told me he experiences both soreness and swelling in the right hand after shooting and he can feel the soreness when he’s making a 'follow-through' shooting motion.

"He also shared his consideration of not wanting to come back and mess up the rhythm of the team. While there was hope he’d return for Game 2 as he’s participating in all aspects of team practice, he’s making sure the time is right for his return to the court."

With Game 3 and Game 4 set to take place this week, only time will tell whether Herro returns to the lineup.

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