The Miami Heat are back in the playoffs after shocking the league with an NBA Finals run last year in the bubble. Now, the team is back though, finishing the season hot and likely to start the postseason run against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Expectations around the Heat are fairly mixed: Can the squad recreate the magic of last season? Is the regular season a sign of regression or a result of injuries?
Will the team wilt in the face of road playoff games or shine when getting home court postseason play? There are seemingly just as many questions around the players.
However, can Jimmy Butler lead this team on another sensational run? Can everyone stay healthy?
Will Bam Adebayo’s improvements translate to playoff success? Can Tyler Herro find magic in another run?
Now, there is an interesting question. Can playoff Herro return?
Can he be better than the start of his second year?
The Miami Heat are full steam ahead, back towards the postseason, but can Tyler Herro get his playoff mojo back from last year?
Before the All-Star break, Herro’s start to the season was… slow. Compared to last season, he averaged five more minutes and only a couple more shots per game.
And while his points per game did rise slightly, his 3-point percentage dropped to 34 percent, while his free throw shooting dipped to 77 percent. His plus/minus fell to -3.1, as well.
Since the All-Star break, Herro is playing less minutes and taking roughly two fewer shots per game but is shooting almost 40 percent from downtown, 85 percent from the charity stripe, while both his effective field goal percentage and true shooting have all been juiced ( from 51 to 53, and 53 to 56, respectively).
His efficient scoring is paid dividends in the closing stanza of the season too. In the last six games, he has scored double digits in every outing and over 20 on three occasions. His points off the bench add a much-needed spark off the pine without demanding a massive volume of touches.
So… can his regular-season improvements become consistent playoff production? –
In last year’s playoffs, Herro scored 16 points per game through four series. He shot 43 percent overall and 37 from 3-point range, adding 87 percent shooting from the line.
Herro’s best value for the foreseeable future is a scoring threat to run around off the playmaking of Butler, Goran Dragic and others. He went through a rocky start to the season, trying to do too much and force offense.
Now, he is back to playing within the offense, hitting shots in rhythm and playing off his teammates. It takes a lot of growth to iron out problems in the season with visible results.
One does not need to travel leaps or bounds mentally to see that he can continue playing efficiently and even make continued strides in the upcoming postseason for the Miami Heat. Herro may not, single handedly, win a series but expect his contributions to make the difference in several playoff games.