Tyler Herro continues impressive rookie campaign with Miami Heat
By Simon Smith
In his debut NBA season, Tyler Herro continues to demonstrate why he has such an exciting future ahead with the Miami Heat.
Whereas some rookies can take a good portion of their rookie year to adjust to the day-to-day grind of an NBA season, Tyler Herro has simply hit the ground running. Taken No. 14 overall by the Miami Heat, the 19-year-old has rapidly cemented a key position in the Heat’s rotation.
Following his 18-point performance in the Heat’s 117-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets, Herro for the ninth time had played 30-plus minutes in a game.
Averaging 29.5 minutes per game for the season, which ranks fourth among all rookies, Herro is averaging 14.3 points and 3.9 rebounds, while returning the very commendable .444/.380/.825 shooting splits. Having scored in double figures in 11 of his 15 games, Herro’s consistency thus far has certainly been a feature.
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Furthermore, it’s not only among his rookie contemporaries that Herro has featured among the leaders given his current output. Among all players who have made at least 10 appearances this season coming off the bench, Herro’s 14.9 points per game ranks ninth overall.
Not only has he earned the trust and admiration of head coach Erik Spoelstra, it’s been his attachment to newly arrived Jimmy Butler that has captured the most notoriety.
A complete gym rat in the mold of Butler, Herro’s complete dedication to his craft immediately captured the attention of the four-time All-Star. Just prior to the start of the season, Butler could not hide his pleasure of having Herro by his side this season and beyond:
"“T’s a player, he’s going to be big for us, big for this city, they’re going to fall in love with him as they should. … He can play, he’s sneaky too, he’s bouncy, he’s shifty … he’s a player and he’s going to get where he wants to.”"
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Possibly the biggest sign in his very early career that Herro was ready for the big stage came during the Heat’s recent blowout loss on the road to the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the Heat getting spanked 113-86, Herro scored a team-high 20 points in a team-high 36 minutes.
In addition to nailing 4-of-9 shots from long range, Herro managed to be a plus-1 during his time on the floor, certainly a noteworthy number despite Herro playing plenty of minutes in garbage time.
In terms of his most spectacular performance, you can’t go past Herro’s 29-point outburst against the Atlanta Hawks, which included going crazy with 19 points alone in the second quarter.
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Following the aforementioned Hornets’ win, Herro commented on his overall impressions from his first 15 games in the league:
"“I love Miami and the rest of my teammates, the fans, everybody, so I’m happy to be here and just continue to get better.”"
After a quick trip to Houston to take on the Rockets on Wednesday night, the Heat return home to host the Golden State Warriors on Friday evening before embarking on a tough three-game road trip, featuring a back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics.
So while his performances at home thus far have been exceptional, performing on the road will certainly be the next step in the evolution of Tyler Herro.