Miami Heat: Tyler Herro is the NBA’s most compelling paradox

Despite his green age and baby-faced appearance, enigmatic Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is fearlessly showing the NBA that anyone can catch these buckets.

What do you get when you combine the effortless shooting stroke of Mike Miller, the unflinching coolness of an assembly line robot, the natural confidence of a bird taking flight, the swagger of Jay-Z’s ‘The Blueprint,’  the youth of a college sophomore, and the appearance of Hellman’s mayonnaise? Easy; you get one bad Mama Jama—Miami Heat guard, Tyler Herro.

Following his flamethrower of a performance in Wednesday night’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals—a contest in which the 20-year-old rookie poured in 37 points on a blistering 81.3 true shooting percentage—the hustle-and-bustle Miami Heat took an imposing 3-1 series lead over the previously favored Boston Celtics. Naturally, with Tyler Herro going scorched Earth while simultaneously exuding a bone-chillingly calm demeanor, all conversation centered around the startling confidence of the boyish Milwaukee product.

Nearly all prominent NBA personalities—from live broadcasters such as Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy, to sideline reporters and show hosts like Rachel Nichols and Maria Taylor, to specialized hoops personalities like Rob Perez and Bill Simmons—have waxed glowingly about both Herro’s willingness to take big shots as well as his skill to make them in the moments that matter most.

As a matter of fact, Herro’s confidence has been so heavily discussed during the Heat’s torrid playoff run that Ringer staff writer, Haley O’Shaughnessy (a Kentucky native who fervently stans her alma mater Louisville Cardinals and, thus by association, surely loathes Tyler Herro’s affiliation with the University of Kentucky), wittily tweeted this before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals:

If O’Shaughnessy’s self-created drinking game took place just two nights after—during the rookie’s Game 4 napalming of the Celtics—the never-ending discussion of Herro’s confidence alone would have single-handedly booked countless overnight stays in either cold bathrooms or uncomfortable hospital beds alike. The talk had taken on a life of its own.

Nevertheless, it should come as little surprise that Herro’s beaming confidence has become the talk of the NBA over the last 48 hours. After all, his unwaveringly cool, calm, and collected style of play is exceedingly rare in someone not of legal age to participate in O’Shaughnessy’s exercise themselves. Yet, with the recent dialogue of Herro’s confidence breaching the mainstream airwaves, one perpetually existing thought continues to linger in my mind.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a photograph of a 19-year-old Tyler Herro just moments following his lottery selection by the Miami Heat.

Tyler Herro couldn’t be a better fit for the Miami Heat

Herro almost certainly received some sharp banter following his debut of that foliage-emblazoned ensemble. Still, looking back to that night with the information we have recently come to know, the swaggering sharpshooter’s never-dry well of confidence makes more sense now than ever before. Only three names affirmatively come to mind when discussing whether or not they can pull off that preposterous attire: Prince during his Purple Rain tour, Will Smith on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and 2020 NBA bubble Tyler Herro.

Astonishingly, however, when it comes to Herro’s nearly numb self-assuredness, many are coldly surprised by his ability to back that demeanor up within the confines of an NBA gymnasium. Let’s face it: How often does a young, skinny, white, private school-looking pre-adult light the NBA playoffs ablaze? One would be more accurate in wrongly stating that it has never happened instead of saying it happens frequently. In the case of Tyler Herro, though, none of that matters. His confidence, though new to those previously not paying attention, has been well-documented for years, and he would be the first to say that—despite his age, size, upbringing, demeanor, and yes, even his appearance—he is built for this stage.

Now with an opportunity to knock off the Boston Celtics in Friday’s looming Game 5—with the result being a previously unimaginable trip to the NBA Finals, no less—the Miami Heat are figuratively licking their chops at the prospect of continuing their improbable run. They weren’t supposed to be in this position, but here we are: One of the NBA’s most surprising teams on the verge of one of the most unlikely Finals appearances in recent memory, spear-headed by a cast of tail-busting role players, a young rising star in Bam Adebayo, an outspoken, lead-by-example fringe-superstar in Jimmy Butler, and the NBA’s most paradoxical player in Tyler Herro.

The Herro movie is just beginning. Should we expect to see some bumps in the road to stardom? Of course; Every star does. It would behoove no one to see Herro experience an equal amount of both flops and blockbusters throughout the remainder of this playoff run and beyond. But to stick with the cinematography jargon, when you inevitably begin to cast more shade on the once-improbable yet always-foreseeable star of Tyler Herro, simply think back to the famous scene in Reservoir Dogs when Mr. Blonde tested his thieving cohort, Mr. White, with one of the films’ most iconic lines.

 “Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?”

Based on everything we have seen from him, Tyler Herro isn’t one for barking.