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Tyler Herro has been a revelation for the Miami Heat this season. He's been an integral part of this team's success and there's no denying that Miami likely won't be where they are right now had it not been for the 22-year-old's strong play. Many saw Herro taking a leap this season but few were able to foresee that he was going to be this good.
Herro himself recently spoke out about his tremendous campaign thus far as he opened up about the many facets of his game. The former 13th overall pick has established himself as one of the most dangerous marksmen in the league, but at this point in his career, he actually does not consider his shooting to be the best aspect of his game:
“I think people know I’m a shooter. I shoot the ball well,” Herro said. “But I think my best thing is off the dribble, getting in the paint, attacking, getting to the midrange, getting to the rim. I think that’s what I do best. I think I’m hard to stay in front of when you’re playing the shot and then my handle gets me to where I want to go.”
Herro has definitely been more aggressive this season and his numbers serve as a testament to this fact. Right now, the young Heat star is averaging a career-high 20.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. Herro is taking much more shots this term, hoisting an average of 17.4 attempts per game as opposed to just 12.9 last season. His efficiency from distance is also up from last term: 2.6 triples per contest on a 38.2-percent clip.
According to Herro, he's also imbibed a different mindset. He's taken some learnings from earlier in the season to further improve his game:
“A lot of the mismatches I was drawing, I would break my defender down and I would try to get to the midrange,” he said. “I think going at 7-footers when they’re chasing me from behind, it’s a tough shot. So just trying to get all the way to the rim, get into their angle and try to get an and-one.
“When I’m feeling it, I try to get to the midrange, I think. But lately, I’ve been trying to either shoot an efficient three or try to get to the rim, draw a foul or make a play.”
Right now, Tyler Herro is the frontrunner for this year's Sixth Man of the Year award. He's been pivotal to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's rotation and the firepower he brings from off the bench is immeasurable.
Coach Spo echoed Herro's sentiments about being more aggressive this season. Spoelstra also acknowledged the important role Herro has for Miami:
“He has really been assertive on his drives,” Spoelstra said. “So there’s been a lot more force to his attacks getting to the basket. That quite naturally will lead to more contact and he has a sturdier frame now from all the weight work that he has been putting in and any of those kind of extra opportunities at the free-throw line are really important for us. It really moves the needle for us when Jimmy and Bam [Adebayo], and now you add Tyler to that mix, are getting to the free-throw line. It helps us control games.”
As coach Spoelstra said, all the time Herro has been spending in the weight room has been paying off. He's no longer the skinny kid he once was when he first entered the league. He's still no LeBron James, but right now, the Heat stud is definitely reaping the fruits of his labor.
As of Saturday afternoon, the Heat are 42-22 and are sitting atop the Eastern Conference. It's getting very tight, though, with just 5.5 games separating the Top 6 teams in the conference. The Sixers and the Bucks are breathing down Miami's neck as they stand just 2.0 and 3.0 games behind, respectively.
Herro and Co. face an extremely tough test on Saturday as they face off against a surging Sixers side. Miami will host James Harden, Joel Embiid, and the rest of the 76ers, who themselves are on a five-game winning streak extending from before the All-Star break. This eye-popping run includes wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Philly is 4-0 since the James Harden trade and it is clear that at this point, they are the big winners of that deal. The Heat will be hoping to hand the Sixers the first defeat of their new era when they battle it out on Saturday in what is an undeniably huge Eastern Conference matchup.
