There was a lot of trade talk this NBA offseason centered around Miami Heat guard, Tyler Herro. Herro looked like a star in the making during his rookie season as he exploded onto the scene in the Orlando Bubble in 2020.
With heightened expectations after helping the Heat make a run to the NBA Finals, Herro and the team fell short during the 2020-21 season. They were never able to replicate the formula for success consistently. It resulted in a sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
Then, the trade rumors began picking up. Plenty of people believed Herro would be on the move as the Heat had big plans for upgrading the roster. Miami insiders believed there was at least a 75 percent chance that he would be traded.
Pat Riley did upgrade the team’s roster, but it didn’t come at the expense of Herro. He was held onto and put in work during the offseason, tuning out the rumors and focusing on improving his craft on the court.
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It looked like it was working during the preseason as Herro was one of the team’s standouts. That carried over to the regular season, as Herro was excellent against the Bucks in the season opener.
Herro poured in a game-high 27 points off the bench, shooting 10-of-18 from the field and 4-of-8 from the 3-point line. He chipped in six rebounds and five assists as he looks to have found a home as the team’s sixth man.
“He’s improved each year as well,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Herro. Sometimes the narrative can spin out of control. Just going through that kind of struggle and the adjustments teams were making for him, for him to go through that was really important. Playing at times point guard for us, that’s a big-time learning experience for him. Now you can play him with the ball, without the ball. His confidence is just continuing to grow.”
As the team’s sixth man, Herro is asked to fill a number of roles. Depending on the substitution pattern and lineup configuration, he can be playing point guard as the lead facilitator or off the ball in a scoring role. There are some situations he will even be asked to play more on the wing at small forward.
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Whatever they ask of him, Herro is ready to do it. He is confident in his game and knows that he is more than just a floor spacer.
“I’ve come a long way,” Herro said. “I always like to think of myself as someone who can do more than just shoot. This organization and this coaching staff has really helped me take my game to the next level with the ball in my hand and be able to see the game before things happen. I couldn’t thank them enough so far.”
Tyler Herro is an important piece of the puzzle for the Miami Heat this season. He will play major minutes off the bench in a big role with the second unit.
