Heat's Herro to miss start of NBA season after surgery

Miami, 20 Sept - Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro had ankle surgery on Friday and will be sidelined for about eight weeks, missing the start of the upcoming NBA season, the team said.

Herro led the Heat in scoring last season with 23.9 points per game, adding 5.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting a career-best 47.2 percent from the field.

The Heat said in a statement that he had had surgery to alleviate "impingement syndrome" in his left ankle, which causes pain and stiffness in the joint.

An eight-week absence would see Herro open his season in November after missing about a dozen games.

The Miami Herald reported that the 25-year-old Herro felt discomfort in his left ankle during an offseason workout and received platelet-rich plasma and cortisone injections in the hope of avoiding surgery.

However, the discomfort continued and it was decided that surgery was necessary to avoid further problems later on.

The 25-year-old earned his first All-Star nod last season and the Heat struggled offensively when he was not on the floor, scoring less than 8.6 points per possession.BSS