The Miami Heat are in line to get one of their star players back within the next few games. Tyler Herro has yet to make his season debut, but his injury status has been updated to questionable for Monday’s game versus the Dallas Mavericks. However, another key player in Miami could miss an extended period of time.
Norman Powell has been one of the key players keeping the Heat afloat this year, despite the injuries they have had to endure. Powell has not avoided injuries himself, though. The 11th-year guard recently missed a couple of games with a groin injury. Miami got him back on the court, but it was not for long, as he reinjured his groin.
Per Heat reporter Ira Winderman, Powell is out on Monday night against the Mavericks with a strained groin. He received an MRI on the hurt area Monday morning, but the results have not been made public yet. But Powell should be expected to miss a couple of games.
Norman Powell Is Off to a Career-Best Start
Powell has been one of the best scorers, not only on the Heat but in the NBA, as well. The 32-year-old is averaging 25.4 points per game on 50.0% shooting from the floor. The most points he has averaged in his career before this season was 21.8 last year with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Powell is 17th in the NBA in points per game, 11th in threes made (3.2), and he makes 46.9% of his shots from beyond the arc. He has found his stride as a scorer, and the Heat are 11-6 because of him. Not having his scoring abilities on the court is going to be a big loss for Miami.
The good news is Herro is nearing a return, and he can make up for the loss of Powell. Herro is coming off a season in which he averaged 23.9 points per game on 47.9% shooting. Still, the Heat lead the NBA in scoring, and losing Powell will put a damper on their hot offensive start.
How Long Could Powell Miss?
The MRI results have not been revealed yet, but one could speculate on how long Powell’s absence might be.
The fact that Powell has already missed time with a groin injury could make the Heat extra cautious. Miami is 11-6, and they have some breathing room in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, the season is still early, and the Heat can afford not to have him in the lineup for a few games.
One player to compare Powell to is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is currently missing time with a groin injury, and he will be out 1-2 weeks. With that in mind, it would make sense for Powell to have a similar timeline. Of course, the MRI will determine more, but one to two weeks seems to be the most realistic.
Since Powell has already missed some time with the same injury, it would not be a surprise to see him out for a little bit longer than two weeks. For now, expect him to be sidelined for the next few games.
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