Ranking the Heat's No. 2 scoring options of the Jimmy Butler era
By Brennan Sims
Jimmy Butler has already left an irreplaceable mark in Miami Heat history. Over five seasons, Butler has treated Heat fans with 21.4 PPG on 61 TS% (the league average was 57.2 TS%) and led the Heat in scoring each year. Butler has been an efficient strength-based bucket-getter. He's proven time and time again that he's one of the clutches players in the world. See his 2020 Finals and 2023 playoff run for proof.
While Butler has shouldered the scoring burden, his #2 option has usually approached the coveted 20 PPG game mark. Three different players have played the Manny to Tony role for Butler. Like those cinematic Miami figures, the #2 option is critical in producing the best product.
3. Tyler Herro 2024: 20.8 PPG; 2022: 20.7 PPG
Tyler Herro has been the No. 2 scoring option behind Jimmy Buckets twice (so far), once during his sixth man of the year campaign in 2022, when he averaged just under 21 points per game—shooting seven threes a game at a 40% clip. Herro was tied with Butler in scoring this past 2024 season. Both stars were limited in the lineup, as neither cracked 65 games.
Herro's greatest scoring attribute is his sugary-sweet shooting stroke. He has range on his pretty jumper and has learned to leverage his shooting gravity by involving others. His 6MOY campaign was the stronger season of the two. He ignited the Heat's offense, feasting on second-tier defenders coming off the bench. His play was essential in Miami's 53-29 record (1st in the East). Herro was the key reason Miami was the No. 1 3-point shooting team that season.
Creating shots out of nothing is a mild skill in Herro's repertoire. Depending on the matchup, he can get by slower-footed players for nifty layups with either hand or get off stop-and-pop midrange shots. That in-between game isn't the most efficient shot in Herro's bag, but it does add to his versatility and offers the defenses a sense of unpredictability. Herro is a much better shot creator than our next contestant, but the big man is a tad more consistent.