The rookie for the Miami Heat, Tyler Herro has a chance to be in the rookie of the year race. And this is just one of the many bold predictions for Herro.
This year in the NBA draft, the Miami Heat had the 13th pick and used it to select Tyler Herro out of Kentucky. Initially the fans weren’t entirely happy with the selection but soon have warmed up to Herro.
Now, with the likes of Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and RJ Barret being in the draft, they draw the most focus out of everyone in the draft and they have the right to. It does mean though, that players like Herro may fall under the radar.
I am not going to make a stupid simple prediction that he could win Rookie of the Year as I believe Williamson already has that in a bag. What I believe Herro can accomplish is bigger than just an award and it is highly realistic.
Here are the stats from two players per 100 possessions in their final year of college:
- 34 games, 28.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.7 steals, 0.9 blocks, 3.0 turnovers, 40.8 percent from the field on 23.6 attempts, 35.4 percent from downtown on 12.0 attempts, 80.6 percent from the strip on 5.7 attempts, and 53.4 true shooting percentage
- 37 games, 25.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, 3.0 turnovers, 46.2 percent from the field on 19.8 attempts, 35.5 percent from downtown on 8.3 attempts, 93.5 percent from the strip on 4.6 attempts, and 58 true shooting percentage
Obviously one of them is Herro, but can you guess who’s the other player? Oh, it’s Donovan Mitchell. Quite similar stats except Herro done it on a much better efficiency.
And that is my bold prediction for Herro this season. He is this year’s Mitchell. Here is a quick fact about the 2019 draft. Out of all of the lottery players, Herro is not quite the best player on a team that is a playoff lock.
But let’s breakdown to what this actually means for Herro.
First, we need to define what a “Mitchell-type player” is. Similar to Herro, Mitchell was drafted in a good situation. The Utah Jazz was a defense-first team led by players like Rudy Gobert, Ricky Rubio, and Joe Ingles. Throughout the season, Mitchell improved, got more opportunities and more shots, and soon became their main guy. In the playoffs, he was one of the main reasons why the Jazz was able to upset the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Herro will have a similar journey in his rookie season. Now, of course, he will not be the best guy on the team no matter how hard he tries as the Heat acquired an All-star Jimmy Butler. There is no reason he cannot become the second-best player for the Miami Heat.
Herro is the perfect player to fit in the Miami system and alongside Butler. If he is inserted in the starting lineup, maybe right from the beginning, then the sky is the limit. Here at AUCH, we already discussed Herro’s goals for the season and if you combine all these goals, that could result in Donovan Mitchell 2.0.
Quite very realistic prediction for our rookie. He may be the x-factor that pushes the Miami Heat further. But remember, if it does happen, you heard it here at AUCH first.