The juicy part of the offseason is over and most people are focused on Summer League. The NBA season is not that far away and teams, including the Miami Heat, are just trying to fill out their rosters.
Miami made a few key additions this summer, including Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, and Markieff Morris. They also managed to bring back players like Duncan Robinson and Max Strus.
All of these players have the potential to make a big-time impact this year, but there’s one player in particular who could be due for a breakout season. Tyler Herro is ready to prove some people wrong.
After struggling in the playoffs last year, Herro’s name got dragged through the gutter this offseason. With a fresh start ahead of him, how could Herro stun the world?
Reasons why Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro will stun the world this season: Low expectations
Tyler Herro had his name thrown in every trade rumor imaginable this offseason. Due to that, people’s expectations of him are likely at an all-time low.
Meanwhile, his expectations last year were at an all-time high. He was coming off of a run in The Bubble that saw him explode onto the scene and help lead the Miami Heat to the Finals.
Then last year, he actually improved in nearly every statistical category. Despite this, people still saw his season as “a down year.”
It was wildly unfair of fans to be so harsh on Herro in only his second season. Luckily for him, people aren’t expecting nearly as much out of him this year.
Now that there will be significantly fewer expectations for him, Herro should be able to thrive. In fact, he might end up surprising people with how well he plays.
Reasons why Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro will stun the world this season: More talent on the roster
This reason may seem a little backward, but it makes perfect sense when put into the right context. Since the Miami Heat have more talent on the roster, Herro might get more opportunities than he did last year.
Last season, Herro was one of the go-to players when it came to scoring on the perimeter. He was and still is, one of the best shot creators on the team.
Miami added Kyle Lowry to the mix this offseason, who also does a good job at creating his own shot. However, instead of seeing this addition as taking away chances from Herro, it will actually benefit him.
Having Lowry on the perimeter will open up opportunities for Herro. Now, defenses will have to focus on more players on the outside, which in turn will open up shots for Herro.
Lowry is also another great playmaker who can help get Herro open looks. Having someone as talented as Lowry making plays will definitely help a young star like Herro get some more open looks.
The Heat also signed PJ Tucker this offseason. Having him to space the floor on offense will help open up the floor for players like Herro.
With all the new help around him, Herro could end up thriving. His play will end up surpassing the expectations that many have set for him this year.
Reasons why Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro will stun the world this season: He had an actual offseason
This is an underappreciated fact about Tyler Herro – he hasn’t actually had time to rest yet. This was the first real offseason of Herro’s career.
Herro entered his rookie season two years ago, but then it was interrupted by COVID. While that was technically a break, he didn’t truly get a chance to unwind and relax.
He then jumped right into The Bubble where the Heat played all the way into October. Herro then began his second season in December, which gave him almost no time to rest.
The young guard has had almost no downtime since entering the league but finally got a chance to relax this summer. That’s a super big deal, especially for a young player.
Not only did Herro get the chance to relax a bit, but he also finally had an opportunity to work on his game. Before this summer, all he had been doing was playing nonstop.
He finally had the chance to take a step back and work on some things this summer. What exactly he worked on, who knows, but at least he had the time to put some work in.
Having this break is huge for all NBA players, as it allows them some time to take a step back from basketball. This step back could be exactly what Herro needed to improve his game.
Maybe he’ll come into next season looking like an All-Star. The Miami Heat know that they have a gem in Tyler Herro, now he just has to prove it to the rest of the world.