Heat Struggle to Find Rhythm with Powell-Herro Duo

Coach Spoelstra admits it's 'tough to assess' how to best utilize the two high-scoring guards

Mar. 20, 2026 at 4:41am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Miami Heat have been dealing with injuries to key players like Tyler Herro, forcing them to rely heavily on Norman Powell as the team's leading scorer. However, integrating the two high-scoring guards has proven challenging for head coach Erik Spoelstra, who acknowledged it's 'tough to assess' how to best utilize the Powell-Herro tandem as the Heat make a playoff push.

Why it matters

The Heat are in a tight race for playoff positioning, and finding the right balance between Powell and Herro will be crucial down the stretch. Spoelstra's comments suggest the team is still trying to figure out the best way to deploy the two talented guards, which could impact the Heat's ability to make a deep postseason run.

The details

In the Heat's recent loss to the Lakers, Spoelstra brought Powell off the bench, a move the coach said was part of an ongoing evaluation process. Powell and Herro have only played 14 games together this season due to injuries, and Spoelstra admitted the situation is 'behind' his list of priorities as the team focuses on improving its defense and transition play. Despite the challenges, both Powell and Herro played significant minutes against the Lakers, with Powell scoring 20 points in 32 minutes.

  • The Heat have lost three straight games, including Thursday's 134-126 defeat to the Lakers.
  • Herro has missed 47 games this season due to a variety of injuries.
  • Powell was named an All-Star for the first time this season, leading the Heat with 22.4 points per game.

The players

Erik Spoelstra

The head coach of the Miami Heat, who is trying to find the right balance between Norman Powell and Tyler Herro in the team's lineup.

Norman Powell

A veteran guard who has been the Heat's leading scorer in Tyler Herro's absence, earning his first All-Star selection this season.

Tyler Herro

The Heat's high-scoring guard who has missed significant time this season due to injuries, making it difficult for him to develop chemistry with Powell.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The skill level with both of them on the court, that'll work itself out. You know we need it. We need all the offensive firepower we can have right now. It's tough to assess, and I get it because that is a storyline, since they haven't had a full body of games and a season together, that's behind my order of priorities.”

— Erik Spoelstra, Head Coach, Miami Heat

“Just playing my game, those decisions and things are above me. I can't control that. I focus on what I can control: be a good teammate, be professional, continue to have confidence in myself, go out there and play the way I need to play, and whatever minutes I do get, figure it out and how we can make it work.”

— Norman Powell, Guard, Miami Heat

“I feel like I'm a starter; I've worked to be in that role. But if the team feels that me coming off the bench some games, or whatever it is, based on matchup, is going to put us in position to win games, I'm going to accept the role and go out there and play basketball.”

— Norman Powell, Guard, Miami Heat

What’s next

The Heat will look to get back on track on Saturday when they take on the Houston Rockets, as they continue to navigate the challenges of integrating Powell and Herro into the lineup.

The takeaway

The Heat's struggle to find the right balance between their two high-scoring guards highlights the challenges of building chemistry and rotations on a team dealing with key injuries. Spoelstra's admission that the Powell-Herro situation is 'tough to assess' suggests the team still has work to do to maximize their offensive potential and make a deep playoff run.