Look, I get it. I know that being a fan of Tyler Herro is polarizing. It seems that you either love him and think that he’s a top 10 shooting guard in the league, or you hate him and he’s not going to live up to expectations. On top of that, I’m sure everyone has an opinion about “The Snarl.” No matter your opinion of the second year player from Wisconsin, you have to respect his game.
He was able to put on a show all of last year, and really put on a show in The Bubble. Highlight after highlight, shot after shot, he has been able to prove that he belongs in this league. Being a Boston Celtics fan, I know more than anyone, especially after he dropped 37 points on us in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Tyler Herro is a natural born scorer, and I don’t know how else to put it. Even before The Bubble, he had quite a few performances where he put the whole league on notice. I mean, who could forget his shot in the clutch against the 76ers?
Tyler Herro is THAT guy. He has been brought up in a few trade discussions for players like Greek Freak and Bradley Beal, and from what has been rumored, the Miami Heat said no when Tyler Herro was involved. Is that warranted? Should you not want to trade a second year player for a MVP or an absolute scorer? Probably. Probably not. It’s hard to tell. I do like the Heat’s moxie though. It takes a lot of guts to tell a team no because you like what you have. With Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, and Tyler Herro, the Heat have an impressive young scoring group that can help them win games, as we’ve seen already.
Last year, Herro came off the bench and performed well in his role. This year, Herro got the nod to be a starter, and has not disappointed for the most part. Yes, he has had some stinkers. 8 points, 7 points, 11 points. Early in the season it seemed that he, and the entire Heat roster, were trying to find their footing after just a 70 day rest period from their trip to the NBA Finals. Over the past few games, however, Herro has really came to play. 34, 31, 17, all on good shooting splits. On the year, Herro is trying to be the best player he can be and do all he can while he’s on the floor. 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. When you can get that kind of production from a second year player, and a secondary or tertiary ball handler behind Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic, it is something special. Very special.
Can he continue this kind of production? I think yes. In his time at Kentucky it was clear that he had the type of work ethic when it comes to his scoring ability that would transfer to the NBA level. Since getting into the league, Herro has really lived up to his “No Work, No Check” mantra. He comes in every day to get shots up, and work on his game, and it is clearly showing up on the floor. The Heat knew what they were doing when they drafted Herro 13th overall, and I think that more than a few franchises are kicking themselves for not picking him up. I know I’m a little upset that he was picked one spot before the Celtics could draft him.
So what can we expect for Herro going forward? Well, this season I think we can expect the steady scoring output, and good shooting along with Duncan Robinson. He may be able to up his scoring to around 20 points per game as long as he isn’t shooting for shooting’s sake. After this season? I think that Herro can play in the league for a very long time. Today’s game is always going to need shooters and someone who can space the floor. With his ability, Herro can stretch any defense, and make things easier for play-makers. I think that Herro is going to be in the league for a very long time, and make a lot of money doing it. He’ll probably end up being an All-Star, maybe a few times over. He might end up making an All-NBA team, probably 3rd team. The biggest thing I expect is that no matter what happens for the next few seasons with the Heat, I do expect Herro to make it back to the Finals one day. No chance a shooter and scorer like that doesn’t get picked up by a contender at some point for extra scoring.
I know I gush about a few players, so this might not be anything out of the ordinary, but I am a big fan of Herro’s game. I like everything about it, so it was easy for me to be a fan. I’ve noticed how well he’s played this season, and I thought that it should get more attention than it has so far. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season for Herro, and I’m excited to see what he will do for the rest of his career.
Round The Game 
Leave a comment