The Miami Heat are getting set to head into their second-round NBA Playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. After a six-game series with the Toronto Raptors, they were finally able to close things out on Thursday.
With that though, you must now begin to look at how they will match up with the Miami Heat.
While the easiest thing to do is to look at the star players, how Jimmy Butler might match up with James Harden or how Bam Adebayo might match up with Joel Embiid, there is a deeper level of thought that might come to mind.
When you look at both of these teams and how they have gotten it done at their peaks this year, you look at the two electric guards out of Kentucky.
You have the Miami Heat’s in Tyler Herro, of course, while the Philadelphia 76ers boast the services of one Tyrese Maxey.
They might be two of the most important guys in the entire series. They may be the X-Factors in the whole thing.
Miami Heat Playoffs: Can Tyler Herro Or Tyrese Maxey Be Bigger X-Factor?
When you look at Maxey, he averaged 17.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season on 48.5 percent shooting from the field and 42.7 percent shooting from range. A top 25 scorer in the league this year, Herro would average 20.7 points, five rebounds, and four assists on the season on 44.7 shooting from the field and 39.9 percent shooting from range.
Though Herro would outpace Maxey during the regular year, Maxey has outperformed him, thus far, in the playoffs. Maxey is averaging 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this postseason, while Herro has only averaged 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
Now, there is also this to consider. The 76ers have needed that kind of production from Maxey more than the Miami Heat have needed Herro to explode thus far.
A product of that and in accordance with their playoff averages, Herro is only playing 28 minutes per game, while Maxey has been forced into 42 minutes per night.
So, while you can’t compare them in apples for apples in this scenario, as the Philly team needs Maxey to be really good to win, the Miami Heat can win when Tyler isn’t necessarily his best.
Miami Heat Playoffs: The Better One Of Herro Or Maxey Could Decide It
It all boils down to this though. Who can be the bigger X-Factor for their teams in the upcoming series?
Where it will, certainly, be a ton about which teams’ feature guys can come through the biggest, Butler, Bam, Harden, and Embiid, you then have to see who can give you the most out of the next group of guys.
That will be guys like Tobias Harris, Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker, Danny Green, and of course, Maxey and Herro. While it might not be the supreme deciding factor between who wins this series, this will have a ton to do with it.
Even deeper than that, it might come down to which Wildcat can do the most for their team when they need it the most. Where it only takes four wins to move on to the next round, each game is of the most crucial importance.
So, even if their production isn’t the only main thing that decides the series, it may be the case for one game. Who knows?
No one does, but it’s a safe question to ask.
So, will it be Tyrese Maxey or Tyler Herro? We sure hope it’s the latter.