Getty Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro reacts during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Much has been said and written about Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro having a sophomore slump in 2020-21. He didn’t have a bad year, mind you; the 21-year-old averaged more points, rebounds and assists per game than he had as a rookie, and his effective field goal percentage was roughly the same.
After a strong run in the bubble, though, Herro didn’t make quite the jump that some had expected. And a 10-game stretch in March during which he averaged just 11.3 points per contest on 32% shooting and 21.6% from three-point range had some questioning their own enthusiasm for the young star.
Fast-forward to now, though, and the naysayers appear to have been silenced.
Herro is currently one of three Heat players to be putting up 20 or more points per contest through six games this season. In doing so, he’s lit it up from three-point range, knocking down nearly 40% of his 8.3 attempts per 36 minutes.
The sharpshooter has been so good, in fact, that Bleacher Report just gave him an A grade in a piece evaluating every NBA team’s top under-24 player after the 2021-22 campaign’s first two weeks.
B/R on Herro’s Big Breakout
In breaking down his rationale for giving Herro such a high grade, B/R’s Grant Hughes opined that the sharpshooter is “realizing his potential as — at least — one of the league’s best reserve weapons.”
Added Hughes:
We can all relax about Tyler Herro now.
After a second season that failed to meet the expectations he set in the bubble and that may have been most notable for the questions about his off-court life, Herro shot out of the gates this year. He’s played like a guy who either doesn’t care about the narratives that formed around him or desperately wants to change them.
Either way, he’s been locked in and effective as the Miami Heat’s quick-trigger scorer off the bench.
Herro was one of just a handful of players to receive an A from Hughes. Cavs rookie Evan Mobley and Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes both got As as well, while Grizzlies star Ja Morant received an A+. LaMelo Ball of the Hornets was given an A- grade.
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Heat Look to Drop the Mavs in Dallas
For a team that holds a 4-2 record on the year, the Dallas Mavericks have been something of a mixed bag. However, they have been exponentially better at home, where they’ll host the Heat on Tuesday night.
The Mavericks have a 3-0 home record in the early season and have outscored opponents by seven points per 100 possessions at the American Airlines Center. That’s a seismic shift from their negative differential of 15.8 points/100 poss. on the road.
That said, Miami may be catching something of a break here. Maxi Kleber — who currently boasts a monster effective field goal percentage of 69.6 is out with a back strain. Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis is questionable to appear with low back tightness.
Meanwhile, Heat center Bam Adebayo was able to go through practice on Monday after missing Miami’s win over the Grizzlies with a left knee bruise, per the Miami Herald. He’s listed as questionable for the Mavericks game.
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