Nick FriedellESPN Staff Writer Jun 8, 2023 2:43pm ET2 minute read
Erik Spoelstra: Tyler Herro has not yet been released
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra details the steps Tyler Herro must take to get back on the court.
MIAMI — Heat guard Tyler Herro still has no clearance for the NBA Finals as he continues to recover from a broken right hand, coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday.
Spoelstra said after Thursday’s practice that Herro is going through all the necessary steps, but he couldn’t clear the final hurdle as Game 4 is scheduled for Friday night.
“That’s just part of the process,” Spoelstra said. “You have to go through phases. The first part of that was just shooting, then movement, then contact against coaches and then the next level of contact in training. He hasn’t been cleared for a game and he’s still not cleared.” .”
The Heat are 2-1 against the Denver Nuggets in the best-of-seven series.
Herro, who broke his hand in the first game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 16, has been intensifying his training for more than a week.
“Obviously he’s been amazing at what we’ve been doing all year,” said Heat star Jimmy Butler. “But I think his mood is really good. He’s doing everything he can to come back and help. I don’t know where he is in this process but I see him working. I see him smiling. I see him around the boys, which is good for him and even better for us.
“We want him to compete with us out there. We always have. We always will. But whenever he’s ready, he’ll be back and he’ll be better than ever.”