Prior to the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat’s narrow (103-102) season-opening win over the Detroit Pistons, team president Pat Riley told reporters that the team needed someone else to step up average around 25 points per game to help star Jimmy Butler. Riley mentioned versatile do-it-all big man Bam Adebayo, who’s one of the better two-way bigs in the league.
The eight-time NBA champion as a coach or executive also alluded to dynamic scoring threat Tyler Herro, who prior to breaking his hand in Game 1 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs last season was the team’s third-leading scorer. Riley knows that in order to have any shot at winning the franchise’s fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy they’re gonna need both to be good and one to be great.
Riley Wants Bam Or Herro To Step Up
During his Monday media session, Riley was asked a bevy of questions, one being who he thought needed to step up offensively for the team. That was asked because of the team’s failed pursuit of All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who was traded to the rival Milwaukee Bucks. If the Heat could’ve added Lillard he would’ve likely become the team’s leading scorer with the aforementioned Butler right behind him.
Butler will once again be the lead dog, and Riley believes one of the two other aforementioned Heat stars need to get it done.
“I don’t know who it’s going to be, Bam or Tyler, somebody is going to be a 25-point-a-game scorer and we need that.” Riley said. “Somebody else is going to be in the 20s or 19 or 21. But we need Butler, Adebayo and Herro to play at a level together as much as they can for us to have a great regular season and a great playoff run.”
“They’re all capable. I’ve seen some signs of Bam and Tyler in the preseason that I really like.”
Trio Combined For 57 Points In Win Over Pistons
In Wednesday’s win Adebayo scored 22 (team-high) and Herro went for 16, right behind Butler’s 19. Only getting 57 points from their dynamic trio won’t cut it against the better teams in the East, like the aforementioned Bucks and Boston Celtics.
Riley knows this, and we’re pretty sure head coach Erik Spoelstra does as well. It was just game 1, and things like rotations and personnel groupings are still being figured out, so it’s really no surprise for the low output from the trio. Last season they all averaged at least 20 points during the regular season, combining for 65 points in total. It sounds like Riley believes that number needs to be up around 70-75 nightly this season.
Can they do it?
Probably, but the key will be how well Herro plays with more responsibility and being at the center of trade talks surrounding Lillard, although Riley vehemently denies he ever was being shopped.
