The Miami Heat have decisions to make on the rotation. Should Tyler Herro be a starter?
The Miami Heat have decisions to make when it comes to who will be in their lineups and rotations. One of the most important things to figure out to start with is who will actually start games for them in this upcoming season.
With the season being less than three weeks away at this point, it’s coming down to the nitty-gritty, as they say, when it comes to filling that unit out. We have a question though.
After what he did in the NBA Bubble, should Tyler Herro be a starter? Kendrick Nunn and Meyers Leonard started for good parts of last season until Jae Crowder and Goran Dragic took over those roles.
Jae Crowder is now a member of the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat probably want to keep Goran off the pine, for now, to save him a bit down the stretch. Kendrick Nunn isn’t the better player between him and Herro, plus Herro offers more of a playmaker at that role.
Still, the question remains. Should he be the guy?
Well, we are going to try and answer it for you. Here is the latest All U Can Heat roundtable.
You know what the question is, as we’ve asked it twice already. In case you missed it though, should Herro be among the starters this season?
The Miami Heat have a few guys who could fill the role, but is Tyler Herro the best suited?
Ivan Mora (@moraivan)
Tyler Herro quickly came on the scene as a very underrated draft player, that to the common eyes may have seemed like a reach. With so many great players and talents left on the board, Miami fans were left wondering if the Heat made the right choice.
It didn’t take long for Tyler to completely flip that switch around. Once the bubble came around, a shy and modest rookie turned into a somewhat seasoned vet with so much confidence that it was hard not to let him shine.
Year two begins in a few days and Tyler Herro should definitely be allowed to continue with that poise and tenacity. His 37-point performance against the Boston Celtics was a point to show the world that he is here and the doubters should be silenced.
Goran Dragic led the Heat in the first three rounds of the NBA playoffs, as a starter and go-to point guard. While I think moving forward that should be the right choice, it should only apply to the playoffs.
Basically, I think they need to promote Herro to the starting position for the regular season. This short season should be the right opportunity for both Herro and Duncan Robinson to completely be themselves in the starting lineup, leading the backcourt.
His handles can produce a quick run and gun style that can transition into easy access for the wings and shooters. This can also help develop their defense, which is where there’s always room for improvement.
If they can somehow make a lineup of Herro, Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Precious Achiuwa work, it can be a defensive threat in the East. While it seems a tad bit unfair for Goran to slip back to the bench, he has adjusted to the 6th man role and can be that veteran presence for the secondary unit like he’s been before.
They have to think of the future and now is the time to let Herro become that beacon.
The Miami Heat have a shooting star ready for flight. Will they let him spread his wings with the starters though?
Sam Allen (@WarSamEagle)
This was honestly a tough question but ultimately, Herro should be a starter, at least to start with. Smart teams use the regular season to experiment with different lineups for the playoffs and Miami is no different.
After his run in the playoffs, Tyler has earned the right to start for the Heat. Big reason number one, Tyler could start on a majority of NBA teams.
He got better and better as the year went on and proved he wasn’t afraid in the biggest of spotlights. That kind of stuff matters and if Tyler can build off his rookie success, he truly might be one of the best young stars in the league.
Big reason number two, Miami should lean on their young players to start out the season. With Goran coming off an injury and Jimmy Butler playing an absurd but necessary number of minutes in the playoffs, the Heat should be cautious with their two older stars.
The regular season really only matters for seeding and with Miami securely in a playoff spot, they should play the young guys. This means potentially being able to give guys like Dragic and Butler time off to prepare for the playoffs.
Big reason number three, I NEED more Herro mean mugs in my life. Did I buy that shirt with his face on the Heat team store?
Absolutely and I’d do it again. As bad of a year as this has been, the Herro mug never fails at making me smile.
If Herro does struggle in year two, Miami is deep enough to move him back to the bench without hurting his confidence.
Tyler Herro might be the best option on the team for the starting lead guard’s job. Will the Miami Heat put him there?
Garrett Brooks (@Garrett_Brooks1)
Tyler Herro is absolutely capable of being a starter in the NBA and on this Heat team. That being said, I do not expect him to be with the starters as the 2020-21 season kicks off.
It’s more about how coach Spoelstra will want to start games and how Herro can be the focal point of the offense when he plays with the second unit.
Remember, he played the third-most minutes per game on the team during last year’s playoff run but started just five of 21 games. It’s cliche, but must be said here: It’s not about who starts, it’s about who finishes.
The Heat have interesting decisions to make regarding their starting five, but I see it coming down to one thing at the end of the day. Defense.
I expect the Heat to start free-agent acquisition, Avery Bradley, in their backcourt and likely in place of Kendrick Nunn. That would keep Duncan Robinson in the starting unit alongside Jimmy and Bam as well.
The final spot will be one of Leonard, Olynyk or potentially even Moe Harkless.
While the offense will have struggles early in games at times, this lineup sets the tone for the kind of defensive effort the Heat want to play with on a nightly basis. Bradley was vital for the Los Angeles Lakers during the regular season last year, being a pest from the opening tip and setting the tone for the team defensively.
Leaving Robinson in the starting five is both easily coverable on defense and gives the team an added option in the limited offensive sets for the group.
The Miami Heat are one of the best organizations in sports. I trust, then, they will make the right choice here too.
Kenneth Wilson (@K_Said_Que)
The Miami Heat will need to make a decision on a starter really soon. I think Tyler Herro shouldn’t be one of those guys.
It isn’t because he doesn’t deserve to be, but it’s because he can be of more help to this team off the bench. They have firepower in the first unit but could use Herro’s craftiness and playmaking on the second unit.
They should have a scoring punch there too between Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, and the rest of the bench, which should include Tyler Herro but that’s another reason why you want him out there. Having one of the best benches in the league usually leads to good things.
They upgraded at guard, if we are talking Avery Bradley to Kendrick Nunn, so that allows even more firepower along the second unit. They could all only serve to make things easier for each other.
Lastly and most obviously, if he’s a starting level talent, that probably means he’s a little better than the people he’d be facing on other team’s benches. He should be able to feast on bench units while still putting himself in a position to help the Miami Heat close games.
It’s really not that complicated for me. Let’s hope that they don’t make it that complicated for themselves.