3 Ways Heat need Tyler Herro to improve to reach All-Star potential
By Noah Decker
If the Miami Heat are going to make a deeper playoff run with their current roster, they will need Tyler Herro to be at his best.
The 24-year-old guard has made improvements to every part of his game since his rookie season. His trade value is not enough to yield a star in return, yet the organization believes he is too good to trade for anyone but an All-Star caliber player. That has put Pat Riley and the Heat front office in a tough position over the last few offseasons, but it looks like the Heat will stick with their core -- for better or worse.
That means Herro needs to push even closer to his ceiling as a basketball player. If he can improve in certain areas, he could help the Heat avoid a third consecutive play-in torment appearance. It is possible we could even see Herro make an All-Star appearance next season. Here are the three areas where Herro needs to improve next season.
Pacing
The Miami Heat generally play at a slow pace. In fact, they were a bottom two team in pace in both the regular season and the playoffs. It is not necessarily a bad thing to play with a slower pace and have more controlled offensive possessions. The Dallas Mavericks, who just reached the NBA Finals, were also considered a team with a slower pace. However, matchups matter.
The Boston Celtics were the team that eliminated the Miami Heat in the playoffs on the way to winning the 2024 NBA championship. Their title run was fueled by their impressive defense and their ability to switch everything. It is hard to score against a set Boston defense. One way to counter this is to run in transition and play with pace.
Tyler Herro is one of the players on the Heat who can control the pace of the offense. He has enough skill with the ball in his hands and ability as a playmaker to make quick decisions. The Heat have the pieces to be an effective team in transition. Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo are all great initiators and scorers in transition. The Heat often elect to not get out and run.
Faster possessions means more possessions. That is becoming increasingly important in the 3-point era that we live in. Herro can make that happen for the Heat.