Why Game 2 victory provides the Heat with the NBA's biggest luxury: options - ESPN

The Miami Heat suddenly have a lot of cards they can play with guard Tyler Herro, but selecting the correct one is a delicate matter.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra revealed Sunday that Herro has been doing contact work for the past week, ever since the team arrived in Denver. Out seven weeks since breaking his right (shooting) hand in the playoff opener in Milwaukee, Herro now appears he could be a giant X factor as he nears his return.

By securing a crucial 111-108 Game 2 victory over the Denver Nuggets to even the NBA Finals at 1-1 and steal home court for the fourth consecutive series, the Heat are anything but desperate going into Game 3 on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). And that opens up options.

Option 1: If ready — and with more time for additional ramp-up work before Game 3 — Herro could make his return. Even if in a limited, dip-your-toe-in-the-water role.

Option 2: If the Heat are concerned about disrupting their rhythm, they could leave Herro on the inactive list, giving him even more time to build himself up and the team more time to reintegrate him. And to leave a curveball Spoelstra can go to if needed later in the series.

Option 3: The Heat could semi-bluff, hinting that Herro looks good in practice, that he is getting close to a return, forcing the Nuggets to spend time preparing for him. And then Miami can continue to hold him out.

Spoelstra was already straddling the line Sunday, leaving all three options on the table.

«He is progressing,» Spoelstra said. «We're really encouraged by the progress.»

Spoelstra is not above playing the semantics game in trying to cloak lineup moves. He's been at it for years. Sunday, for example, he rejected pregame reports that he'd decided to move Kevin Love into the starting