Miami Heat: Tyler Herro Is Already Silencing His Doubters

What a promising start it’s been for the Miami Heat, as they emerged victorious in their first three preseason matchups. Their grounding style of defense is encompassed by a sense of cohesiveness and it only seems that they’re just scratching the surface of their truest form.

At the center of a much improved Heat roster, it didn’t take long for third-year guard, Tyler Herro, to make an early impact. After facing a ton of scrutiny throughout much of last season and further into the summer, not only has Herro responded to his critics during his first preseason action, but he’s absolutely flourished and in wake of his most critical season yet.

OVERVIEW OF TYLER HERRO’S FIRST THREE PRESEASON GAMES

• 26 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 9-12 shooting, 3-4 three-point, and 5-6 free-throws versus Atlanta
• 24 points, nine rebounds, and three assists on 7-13 shooting, 4-7 three-point, and 6-6 free-throws versus Houston
• 26 points, two rebounds, and three assists on12-25 shooting, 1-5 three-point, and 1-2 free-throws versus San Antonio

In just three outings, Herro has significantly shown improvement as both a player and an athlete. While it is only preseason (a remark often used to debunk strong performances), a promising stretch of basketball has arrived for the Heat’s leading preseason scorer (25.3 points per game).

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PLAYMAKING IS STARTING TO COME EASY FOR TYLER HERRO

There were very short spurts of taking over games (and closing them) during his first two seasons and as the 2021-22 season nears, that may fully become a reality. No matter the volume, Herro’s skillset, alone, makes him a unique offensive player and the usual early shot clock pull-ups, runners, and floaters will always be available.

Entering his third Miami Heat season, Tyler Herro came into the year with a ton of weight on his shoulders. Already though, he’s responding to his critics.

Although this time around, a confident and more focused Tyler Herro was not only creating for himself, but even for others. In a series of trial and error, Herro’s opportunities of dictating the Heat’s offense were often stagnant last year.

However, there were numerous factors that didn’t help his case — such as inexperience (for Tyler) and an unstable Miami Heat rotation. However, Herro has generated a 30.9 Usage Rate in his first three preseason games and now having an elite dictator in Kyle Lowry by his side, Herro continued to thrive during stretches when Lowry wasn’t on the floor.

HERRO’S NEW MUSCLE = GREATER ALL-AROUND IMPACT

Another noticeable improvement is that Herro now looks capable of playing more physically. This is most especially as a finisher, which has been one of his weaker areas from a physicality perspective.

Early in the preseason, there’s more of a physical comfort in attacking the rim but even further, his intent to do so has inclined. As a result of constantly attacking and finishing through traffic, a stockpile of free-throws have been rewarded.

• Tyler Herro has already registered 18 free-throw attempts, which is his most in a three-game span since January 12th.

Though the added strength has taken Herro’s offense to new levels, his effectiveness on the defensive end is also catching up to speed. He’s taken the challenge of defending larger players and simply playing more effectively on or off the ball — even blowing up screens while recovering to contest and block shots.

Especially at his age, there couldn’t have been a better start for Herro, as he’s expected to be the first player off of coach Erik Spoelstra’s bench this season. Of course, a few rough shooting nights are forthcoming, but this is the beginning of an upward trend for the 21 year-old guard.

As the Miami Heat prepare for a deep postseason run, Boy Wonder’s ability to answer all the questions and concerns about his career arc will be an intricate reason for why it happens.