The Miami Heat are deep. They are the deepest and most talented that they have been since the Big 3 Era.
While their top-end talent was superior then, having, arguably, the greatest player ever in LeBron James, the third greatest two-guard of all time and the greatest Miami Heat player ever in Dwyane Wade, and another all-time Hall Of Fame type player in Chris Bosh, this current version of the Miami Heat is probably deeper and more thoroughly built throughout.
Though the talent level does drop off when you look at the Miami Heat’s reserve unit, it doesn’t drop of a boatload and especially not as much as the talent disparity between the starting lineups of the Big 3 Era and the next five men off of that bench.
While a huge reason for that and specifically of the past era is, again, the greatness of some of the guys on that roster, a huge reason for that and specifically with a mind towards the present is Tyler Herro.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro Could Be A Contender For 2 Regular Season Awards
While there are other really good players on the second unit for the current iteration of the Miami Heat, Tyler Herro might be the best pure scorer on the team and is the straw that stirs the drink with the bench.
He displayed it all in preseason and all with a new-look physique. He showed you the ability to handle better in and under pressure from the defense.
He showed you how his improved strenght and muscle will translate to his finishes in the lane and at the rim, while also showing you how he will use it to be better with his overall floor game. He hit jump shots from here, from there, and from everywhere.
He was simply amazing in the Miami Heat’s preaseason. That was so much so the case that if he continues this type of production into the NBA Regular Season, he will, not only, be in contention for one regular season NBA honor but two of them.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro Contender For 2 Awards – NBA 6MOY & MIP
With him being the main man off the bench for the Miami Heat and again, perhaps their best scorer, he should be a strong contender for the NBA Sixth Man Of The Year Award, hands down.
Even still though and with the improvement he has shown thus far in the preseason, providing the production continues into regular season, he’ll also be among the contenders for the NBA Most Improved Player Award as well.
It’s really that simple. The Miami Heat’s fate, as far as wins, losses, and playoff seeding, goes into all that but even including that, he should have a good chance to stake his claim at both honors.
Hopefully, he does it. If so, that’ll mean that he’s keeping up his hot play on both sides of the ball and that will only mean great things for the Miami Heat.
His teammates sure think he can, as per his teammate, Jimmy Butler, he has the belief from everybody around him. Per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, here is what Butler said recently in an interview, after saying that they “all know how talented T is”:
"“Half of his battle is in his own head. Don’t nobody care about what anybody else is saying, ‘We love you for who you are. We want you to be as aggressive as you can, and come out there and do what you do.’ We support him in every single way. I think he’s got the most important people in his corner, damn sure all of his teammates. We want him to carry his momentum, his energy into the regular season.”"
Again, with their support and a good team showing this season, he can certainly accomplish these things. It’s all set up before him.
He just has to go out there and keep doing it.