The Miami Heat are less than two full seasons removed from their most recent NBA Finals run in 2023, but point guard Tyler Herro candidly admitted that he doesn't see the team as championship contenders currently.
The Heat went into the All-Star break with a 25-28 record and are ninth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are still in position to make the NBA play-in tournament and potentially qualify for the the postseason through that route, but it doesn't seem that Herro is hopeful the team can go on a legitimate run for a title again.
“I don't think people realize how hard it is to win a championship and everything has to fall in line," Herro said, via SiriusXM NBA Radio. "We started the season with Jimmy [Butler] saying we're going to try to win a championship. I think obviously, if we’re calling a spade a spade, we’re not contenders right now, but I think with the team we're trying to put together we have a lot of young guys that can really help us win."
“If we’re calling a spade a spade, we’re not contenders right now”
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 18, 2025
Tyler Herro shoots it straight with @TheFrankIsola and @Scalabrine regarding the expectations the Heat have the rest of the year #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/d4tbqmDyEN
It's not necessarily surprising to say that the Heat aren't strong contenders to go on a run this year. The team traded their biggest star in Jimmy Butler, who was a driving force in Miami reaching their last two NBA Finals appearances. The contention between Butler and the organization before the trade certainly could have been a distraction for the rest of the Heat, who lost five of their last six games heading into the All-Star break.
It is still notable to hear Herro speak candidly about his doubts for the team in the middle of the season. On the bright side, Herro does seem optimistic about the team's future with some of their younger developing stars, including Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez, and Nikola Jovic.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tyler Herro Makes Realistic Admission About Heat's Status as Contenders.
