Tyler Herro has been a bright spot for the Miami Heat this season. The former Sixth Man of the Year has grown into one of the most reliable scorers in the Eastern Conference while also taking leaps as a playmaker.
When speaking to the media following the Heat’s 118-95 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, head coach Erik Spoelstra detailed how Herro has improved during the season.
“He’s playing so patiently without the ball,” Spoelstra said. “It’s really slowing down for him. The more aggressive you are, he’ll play off the ball. He’s playing less and less, bringing the ball up the court and running an angle pick and roll; he’s playing off a catch, playing off overreactions. He’s so skilled; if you are getting him on the move like that, he’s a handful. And he’s burning a lot less calories doing it as well. Guys are getting comfortable getting him the ball when he’s on the move.”
Herro is a core part of the Heat’s future. At 25 years old, he is still multiple years away from his prime. If Miami decides to enter a retooling phase, Herro and Bam Adebayo are the only two talents that are almost guaranteed to remain on South Beach.
In 71 games this season, Herro is averaging 23.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He’s also shooting the ball at a 46.9% clip from the field and 37.5% from the perimeter.
Jimmy Butler’s Exit Hurt the Heat
The Heat’s season came off the rails as soon as Jimmy Butler requested a trade from the franchise. Butler was Miami’s best player. The issue was that Pat Riley never succeeded in giving him another All-Star running mate. Eventually, Butler grew tired of carrying the team on his back.
Butler, who is now with the Golden State Warriors, recently made his return to Miami, losing 112-86. During the game, Miami fans in attendance showed their former star some love, leading ESPN’s Bobby Marks to share his frustration.
“I was embarrassed last night,” Marks said on March 26. “I was embarrassed watching that and looking at what the Heat fans did. To give a man who quit on you…He quit on them because he didn’t get paid by the Miami Heat…But to give that man a standing ovation. That bothered me dearly…The guy quit on you in the middle of the year. He went to Golden State. He got his money.”
Some sections of the Heat fanbase elected to boo Butler, but in truth, his decision to leave the franchise appears to have been accepted by the general fan population.
Heat Could Target Kasparas Jakucionis via the Draft
The Heat need a point guard. Terry Rozier hasn’t produced at the required level and is a potential trade chip heading into the summer. According to a mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, Kasparas Jakucionis could emerge as the Heat’s point guard of the future.
“There is currently both optimism and debate about how much Kasparas Jakucionis’ positional size, clever maneuvering, shotmaking skill and passing IQ can offset his lack of explosiveness and quickness,” Wasserman wrote. “…Too much recent evidence suggests skill and IQ can outweigh athletic limitations for a ball-handler, particularly for a plus shooter. And despite a recent slump from behind the arc, there are years of promising shotmaking data/tape for scouts to go back to from Jakucionis’ time with Barcelona and Lithuania.”
Miami is likely focused on making some noise in the play-in tournament. However, with postseason success highly unlikely, keeping one eye on the draft would be wise. Jakucionis has all the tools to be a long-term option at a position of need for Miami. However, drafting him may mean Pat Riley must accept a slight rebuilding phase. After all, it’s going to take more than one summer to put the Heat back on top.
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