Jimmy Butler's uninspiring play, Tyler Herro's absence culminate in Heat loss to Blazers

Today at 11:26 PM

MIAMI – As Miami Heat star Tyler Herro missed his first game of the season, it led to the team losing in double-digits to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, 116-107. There was some excitement in the Heat’s win over the Spurs after a lineup change including Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware together, but that was squandered with the gut-punching defeat.

Jimmy Butler finished the game with 13 points on four of nine shooting to go along with eight assists and four rebounds in 27 minutes. Duncan Robinson led the team with 22 points as Kel’el Ware had another impressive game recording a double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds (a career-high).

Bam Adebayo also had a double-double finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Here are three takeaways from the Heat’s loss to the Trail Blazers.

A wonky first half for the Heat

It would be a mess of a first half for Miami with the first quarter being a major highlight offensively as they scored 38, shooting 63.6 percent from the field and an efficient seven of nine from beyond the arc. If we compare that to the second quarter, they shot 30.8 percent from the field and missed all 12 attempts from three-point range.

Going back to the first period though, Butler would have an engaged start to the game as he was noticeably driving to the rim at a harder rate, even calling for the ball a handful of times. He would have seven points, shooting two of four from the field, two of two from the free throw line, had four assists, and had a +5 on the floor.

The explosive start from deep was heavily contributed by Robinson who had 11 opening frame points on four of five shooting from the field and three of four from beyond the arc. It all went downhill in the second quarter where the team scored 17 points and didn’t make any of their 12 attempts from deep compared to Portland’s 27 with the only bright side being Adebayo who was three of five from the field in the second period.

The Heat’s first-round rookie Kel’el Ware started alongside Bam Adebayo off a great outing on Sunday in the win over the San Antonio Spurs where the long-awaited frontcourt made a return. It led to immediate great results which Miami is trying to find back in the second half.

Disappointing showing in the second half for the Heat against Blazers

Things would get worse for the team in the second as the third quarter featured a dreadful showing in terms of Miami’s three-point shooting. The streak continued into the third quarter where the Heat missed 19 consecutive three-pointers before Ware made one with over three minutes left in the period.

Miami would shoot 39.1 percent from the field and two of 10 from deep as the lead scorer in the quarter was Butler who had six points. As for the Blazers, it would be tough for them to miss as they shot 65 percent and six of 12 from three in the opening quarter of the second half.

Heat missed Tyler Herro, needed more from Jimmy Butler amid trade talks

The Heat would muster up some momentum towards the end of the game cutting down to a single-digit deficit, but it would be too little too late for a comeback to be had as Portland hands them a devastating loss. There is no doubt that the team missed their leading man this season in Herro as head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke after the game about what was missing.

“That is really tough to evaluate. Without Tyler and just our overall intentionality was not at its highest level,” Spoelstra said.

Erik Spoelstra on the offense without Tyler Herro for the first time this season.

"That is really tough to evaluate, without Tyler and our overall intentionality was not at its highest level…" #HeatNationpic.twitter.com/IY3WmkkLRW

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 22, 2025

With very little offensive production without Herro, one would wonder if Butler would get an uptick in activity, but that never transpired throughout the game. Spoelstra was even asked about playing around Butler’s play but would downplay that being a reason and accredited more to how the overall team played.

“I know you’re trying to get out of me,” Spoelstra said to a media member. “You’re not going to get anything worthwhile. It was just, was not a very inspiring first three quarters by the whole group. So it’s tough to like pinpoint one person in that while subbing, getting in deeper into the rotation, just nothing really seemed to take hold until we got to that last group, that was probably the most inspiring group.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked about Jimmy Butler's "languid" play and how to work around it.

"I know what you're trying to get out of me, you're not going to get anything worth while, it just wasn't a very inspiring first three quarters by the whole group…" #HeatNationpic.twitter.com/yd2jXDWYlp

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 22, 2025

Tyler Herro’s injury, Jimmy Butler trade is possibly imminent

There are a couple of interesting storylines relating to the team that was away from the game itself against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. One is with Heat All-Star hopeful Tyler Herro as he missed his first game of the season due to right groin tightness which the guard woke up with on Tuesday morning.

Herro was added to the injury report on the day of the game and had been listed “questionable” the whole day until it was announced he would be inactive, having played every game of the season thus far. He leads the team with 24 points and five assists per game as he’s in the midst of his best season as a pro so far.

Is Jimmy Butler on the way out soon?

Looking at Butler, there could potentially be a trade with him ending with the Phoenix Suns soon as with the recent trade of them acquiring draft picks, it was reported by Ira Winderman that it is “one of the steps” leading to a deal for the 35-year-old. Looking at the recent trade involving the Suns via ESPN’s Shams Charania:

“The Phoenix Suns are trading their 2031 unprotected first to the Utah Jazz for three first-round picks, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote. “The Suns are acquiring the least favorable firsts in 2025 of Cleveland/Minnesota, 2027 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah and 2029 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah.”

Subsequently, it does look like Phoenix is acquiring some draft capital which seems to be one of the many returns Miami wants if they were to trade Butler ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Of course, fans were speculating that since a trade could be close for Butler, he would appear to be more engaged and have “joy” as the star said was missing on Jan. 2.

That remains to be seen, but Miami now heads on a two-game road trip which starts on Jan. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

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