The Miami Heat might have something in Tyler Herro. One of the best scorers in the NBA last season, not only did he rank second in points per game for the Miami Heat, but he also finished with the 32nd most points out of all players.
Last season, Herro showed vast improvement from his previous two seasons in the NBA. He became a more versatile scorer and he improved his handle. He clearly worked on his conditioning and strength.
This upcoming season, Herro will have new goals to meet. He has a chance to either meet, exceed, or fall below expectations.
Tyler Herro has been mentioned in trade conversations for much of his career. With players like Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell being linked to the Miami Heat, next season will be a very important one for Herro.
If he stays in Miami, the team will be demanding a lot from him. Here is the ceiling and floor for him in his next NBA season.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro’s Ceiling In 2022-23 Is All-Star Potential
The best thing Tyler Herro could do for the Miami Heat next season is to improve into a true All-Star caliber player. There are a few things that it would take from Herro in order for this to happen.
Ceiling: All-Star
Although he could technically make the All-Star team as a bench player for Miami, Herro will need to become a starter for the Heat. Right now, he comes off the bench and provides an offensive explosion with his scoring.
So far, he has excelled in that role, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award last season.
The next step for Herro is becoming a consistent starter who the Heat can rely on for more than just points. It will require more general improvement in all areas of his game, including his strengths, but there are two key areas that will help him become a starter.
The first of those areas involves trust. Herro has never shied away from big moments.
He likes taking important shots. The Heat might not need him to be a clutch shooter every night, but they will need him to improve his decision-making, especially late in close games.
In general, he will need to gel more with the other starters. That starts with a consistent lineup, but it also depends on Herro’s growth as a ball handler and a facilitator.
The biggest area of growth for Herro needs to be his defense. He does not need to become an All-NBA defender, but he does need to be able to consistently stay in front of his man while doing a better job of bothering his opponent.
He cannot rely on the help defense to bail him out. The Miami Heat pride themselves on being a defensive powerhouse—and the team cannot afford to have defensive liabilities that give the other teams easy opportunities to score.
Defense is the only glaring weakness in Tyler Herro’s game. If he can become, at minimum, a reliable on-ball defender, then he should have an easier time becoming an All-Star.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro’s Floor In 2022-23 Is Being Viewed As A Trade Asset
Tyler Herro has been on the trade hot seat for several seasons. It is not necessarily because he is a bad player.
Floor: Becoming Expendable
Actually, the opposite is true. Herro is so skilled and so valuable, that he has high trade value.
If he does not want to be included in trade rumors, Herro needs to prove that he is irreplaceable. He does that by establishing a committed and accountable work ethic.
If Herro dedicates extra focus on hours in the gym and studying good defensive habits, he can become a player the Heat need to win. If he does none of those things and shows no signs of improvement, he will become a player who the Miami Heat feel they could win a championship without.
Right now, the Heat are targeting some All-Stars to add to their roster. Herro doesn’t necessarily need to become an All-Star to become untouchable (although, as previously mentioned, it would be an assured way to stay on the team).
All he needs to do is become a player who is so important in his role that the Heat have no replacement for him. Last season, we saw signs that Herro is headed in that direction.
The Heat often looked lost, offensively, in games where Herro did not play. However, that is not going to be enough for seasons to come.
It does not make a difference how many points Herro can score if the other team is going to target him on the other end and do the same thing. Herro needs to improve his defense or find some other way to become a major contributor.
If he does not, he will probably get traded. Fortunately, we have already seen Herro prove that he is motivated by his weaknesses from previous seasons and he is dedicated to improving his skills.
Tyler Herro took a big leap last season. It is very unlikely that he does not do the same thing again next season.
The sky is his ceiling, but his floor could see him moved if he doesn’t prove it.