ATLANTA —While he isn’t exactly having to line up over center in his initial reps back in the mix, Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro has been fitted for an NFL-type flak jacket in his return from more than a month out with a rib injury.

Herro confirmed the apparatus after Friday morning’s shootaround, ahead of Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.

“They had like a sewing person come in and sew a whole new pad in for me,” Herro said of the extra layer of protection, having been sidelined since Jan. 15. “So I got quite the flak jacket. I look like a football player almost out there. So I’m going to see how it goes, try to feel it out a little bit. Ultimately, just want to feel safe.

“Hopefully I just don’t get hit there and we’ll be good. But yeah, I’ll be, I’ll be protected.”

Because of the nature of the injury, Herro said there is not necessarily 100% assuredness.

“I don’t know. I haven’t looked at my ribs. We haven’t done another image, but I feel good,” he said with a confident air. “I’ve taken some hits there, in the last couple of days, and it feels a thousand times better than it did prior to.

“I don’t know what the actual rib looks like, if I were to take a picture of it, an MRI or something. But I feel good.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said no matter the apparatus or imaging, the court work has shown that Herro again is good to go, having returned from this eight-day All-Star break having played only 11 previous games this season.

“Tyler’s a competitor,” Spoelstra said Friday. “All these injuries have been unfortunate, but they’ve been real.

“He had three broken ribs. He was trying to play through it and just wasn’t able to sustain that by doing shots and everything. It was needed to get this rest and recovery and rehab. But he’s available, which is exciting.”

The Heat went into Friday night with Herro and prime offseason acquisition Norman Powell having played only 132 minutes together  – training camp, preseason, regular season, ever.

Spoelstra said that aspect has been overstated.

“I’m not overthinking it,” he said. “I don’t know why anybody else would. We need the talent, what we’re trying to do. We want to make a run here, so we need the guys available.The minutes that they had were very good. I’m just excited that we have our guys available.”

Powell said he only sees pluses.

“We’ve joked about it and everything,” Powell said of the limited time together. “Obviously a lot of the stuff he can’t control with injuries and things like that, but it’ll be really good for us to be fully healthy, build that chemistry and be a threat. He brings another dynamic offensively, you know, that keeps defenses on their toes.”

Herro said he is returning not only with chemistry with Powell in mind.

“I’ve played like 11 games this season, so I haven’t played with anybody, really,” he said. “So just want to get out here and play with the whole team, get comfortable and just stack some healthy games together, just try to play a stretch of games where I’m healthy.”

Heat Family Festival

The Heat announced Friday that their 26th  Annual Miami Heat Family Festival will be held at Dan Paul Plaza at Kaseya Center on March 1.

The block-party–style event supports the Miami Heat Charitable Fund and provides the opportunity to meet players, coaches, and their families. The event will feature auction items, photo opportunities, meet-and-greets and live entertainment. Attendees can enjoy free food from over 40 South Florida restaurants.

Tickets are now available, starting at under $350, at HEATFamilyFestival.com or by calling 786-777-4776.