The Miami Heat have been dealt a major blow with the start of the 2025-26 NBA regular season not much more than a stone’s throw away. The engine that made their offense go last season, guard Tyler Herro, is set to miss some time to begin the new campaign after he recently underwent surgery to repair an issue affecting his left ankle and foot.

It’s difficult to argue that anyone not named Herro was Miami’s top offensive player last season, especially after forward Jimmy Butler was dealt to the Golden State Warriors. The former University of Kentucky standout posted career-highs in points (23.9) and assists (5.5) per game, leading Miami in both categories.

Now that Herro is on track to be sidelined for several weeks after Miami’s 82-game schedule begins, what is the best-case scenario for the Heat’s offensive attack with him out?

Norman Powell averages 20-plus points per game

Powell’s scoring ability was key to the Los Angeles Clippers’ offense staying afloat a season ago sans Kawhi Leonard in the lineup for much of the campaign. He averaged 21.8 points per game and has the scoring arsenal to be a similarly effective scorer in his maiden season in Miami.

In this best-case scenario, Powell gets loads of touches to open the season with Herro sidelined, and that helps him get fully comfortable with the Heat earlier than he would have if he began the season playing alongside the All-Star guard. He cements himself as Miami’s top scoring option with Herro out and averages 25-plus points per game in the month of October.

Powell’s usage rate and touches dwindle a bit after Herro makes his return to the lineup, but he still averages 20-plus points per contest on the season thanks in large part to the fact that the Heat threw him into the fire and didn’t ease him in to begin the campaign. He starts the campaign out on fire and rides that momentum for the remainder of the season.

Bam Adebayo improves his scoring efficiency and playmaking chops

With Herro down for the count, Adebayo recognizes the importance that he gets back to being an efficient scorer and premier playmaker at the big man spot. As a result, he looks more like the player Heat fans know and love in those areas.

Last season, Adebayo converted fewer than 50 percent of his shots from the field for the first time as a pro, but in this best-case scenario, he ups his shooting percentage to 56.0 percent in his ninth NBA season. He continues to build upon his ability to score the ball from 3-point range and posts a new career-high in 3s made per contest.

Furthermore, Adebayo is as effective a playmaker as he’s ever been at the highest level in the 2025-26 campaign. He has averaged five-plus assists in the NBA before, and he averages a personal-best 5.5 assists per game and ranks second on the Heat in dimes per contest. For context, he dished out 4.3 dimes on a per-game basis in the 2024-25 season.

Because Adebayo redeems himself with the efficiency in which he scores the ball and his knack for making plays for his teammates, he is in the conversation for being one of the best offensive big men in the league by the end of the campaign.

Davion Mitchell thrives as Heat’s starting point guard

Mitchell put up some solid playmaking numbers across 30 regular-season contests and four playoff games in his first season with the Heat, and he picks up the slack in that regard in Herro’s absence. Across the opening four weeks or so of the campaign with Herro sidelined, Mitchell dishes out a whopping 9.5 assists per game and proves that he has the passing feel needed to effectively lead an offense.

Once Mitchell solidifies himself as a borderline elite passer, Miami opts to continue to have him be the team’s primary playmaker even after Herro returns. As a result, Herro plays off the ball a lot more than he did a season ago, but he remains a dynamic scorer.

All in all, Mitchell ends the campaign ranking tops on the Heat in assists per game and finishes in the top 20 in the NBA. He contributes at a level that makes the two-year, $24 million extension he signed with the Heat in the summer look like one of the bigger bargain contracts in the league.