Tyler Herro is not someone the Miami Heat can begin to replace with the current roster, but his absence while recovering from left ankle surgery opens the door for others to leave their mark. It took all of one game for Dru Smith to leave his.
Despite logging just over 10 minutes in Miami’s preseason opener, the 27-year-old delivered an impact worthy of a full-length performance. He finished with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting and two blocks, while playing his usual amount of ultra-pesky defense.
The performance itself shouldn’t technically be a seismic event. Smith is known as a gnatty defender, and quality secondary ball-handler.