MIAMI – As Miami Heat star Tyler Herro returned from his rib injury with a dominant 128-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, there's no denying the guard has given the team a big boost. The Heat are looking to maximize their lineup now that Herro is in the mix, as chemistry appears to be building between the star and rookie Kasparus Jaksionis.
There are a couple of guys on the team who still haven't figured out how much time Herro has missed, as he's been absent not only 15 games prior to Friday's win, but 45 games total with a myriad of issues. The saving grace is that the rookie Jacusionis is getting extended minutes at some point, either off the bench or in the starting lineup.
Since January 15 against the Boston Celtics, Jaksionis has recorded double-digit minutes in every game, showing the trust he has built with head coach Erik Spoelstra. On Friday, with both Herro and Jacusionis on the floor, there was a strong one-two punch in the backcourt as the rookie put the star in spots to score, also drawing the attention of Spoelstra, who saw a "rapport" blossoming.
"Obviously, we haven't seen a lot of them, just because of availability, but the skill level, the talent, the offensive talent, just without spending a ton of time with them, you can see how the synergy could be," Spoelstra said before the team took on the Grizzlies on Saturday night. “Kaas [Jakucionis] Is a playwright. He plays with speed, he wants to kick the ball forward, he wants to get the ball to people almost to a fault, and you could see that last night, he was looking for Tyler like every time.
Erik Spoelstra last night when Tyler Herro and Kaspars Jaksionis were on the court together: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/j6YsK8eKpl
- Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 21 February 2026
Heat's Erik Spoelstra talks Kasparus Jaksionis' improvement
While Jaksionis has some unique attributes for the Heat, as he was drafted with the 20th overall pick in the last NBA Draft, he gives the team a true point guard with potentially elite play-making abilities, an ideal the roster is looking for.
At just 19 years old, there's no denying the raw talent, however, as Jacusionis is recording consistent minutes, averaging 22.7 minutes so far in February. His improvement from his first season has been noticeable, with even Spoelstra talking about the Illinois product's "work ethic."
"So I'm excited about the prospects, but Kass continues to get better," Spoelstra said. "If you look at where he was in summer league compared to where he is now, it's really a credit to his work ethic. He spent a lot of time with Coach Quinn and all the pre-practice and post-practice sessions. You know, he's improved a lot. He's earned it."
It remains to be seen what Jakusionis' role looks like with the team getting healthy, though with Davion Mitchell missing Saturday's game due to a head ailment, the rookie will also get a start over Herro as the team manages minutes following the star's injury. Nevertheless, Herro led the Heat throughout the game with 24 points on nine of 14 shooting from the field and two of four from deep.
At any rate, the team is looking for continuity, as prior to Saturday's tilt hosting Memphis, the team was 30-27, which puts them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Next, the Heat move on to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
