Miami Heat: Could Tyler Herro Earn All-Star Replacement Bid?

Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat is defended by LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat is defended by LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

While Jimmy Butler is the only Miami Heat All-Star at the moment, there could be room for one more Heat player to join him in Cleveland for the All-Star Game. With Kevin Durant scheduled to be sidelined until March, there is likely to be an opening on the East’s All-Star roster.

As Charles Barkley noted on Thursday evening, Tyler Herro should be in consideration for an All-Star selection. The third-year guard has provided a surprisingly shocking ability to score off the Heat bench and has missed only nine games this season.

Herro’s 20.1 points per game not only leads all bench players in scoring, but he is also averaging a career-high in minutes and assists per game as well. He has been one of the most consistent players for one of the best teams in the NBA.

There are certainly other players who are also deserving of All-Star consideration. Jarrett Allen and LaMelo Ball are just a couple of the players in the East who have been putting up gaudy numbers in the first half of this season.

If Tyler Herro can ball out in the next few games for the Miami Heat, he could replace an injured Kevin Durant as an Eastern Conference All-Star for 2022.

Allen’s Cavaliers have been the Cinderella Story of the NBA in 2022. Sitting 1.5 games out of first place, the Cavs have ridden on the back of their big man’s success.

Allen leads the Cavs’ frontcourt while averaging 16 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, and all to go along with 67.8 percent field goal shooting.

On the other side, Ball’s Hornets have been underperforming as of late. Slipping to the ninth seed in the East, the Hornets’ second-year superstar is still averaging an obscene 19.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest.

These three players—Herro, Allen, and Ball— have been putting up All-Star-worthy numbers all season. Unfortunately, all of them cannot make the roster this year.

Although the numbers may seem to indicate that Allen or Ball should be selected over Herro, there is one major factor that tips the scales. The Miami Heat have been the top seed in the East for a portion of the first half of the season.

If Herro can ball out in the Heat’s next few games and score at an incredible rate, he may garner more national attention to replace Durant as an Eastern Conference representative. It may be a difficult outside shot at making the roster, but Herro has been making difficult shots all season for Miami.

Either way, Herro is having an amazing season and should be in line for more All-Star looks in the future. After a shaky sophomore season, the future is looking bright for Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat.