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The New York Knicks and Miami Heat extended RJ Barrett and Tyler Herro respectively this offseason, and Bleacher Report has now revived a debate between the two.
While it’s difficult to say for certain who’s better just by looking at raw numbers, that hasn’t stopped anybody from letting their voice be heard.
Barrett was selected third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft while Herro went 13th. In the case of Herro, he settled in as a sixth man for the Heat and he plays along star talent such as Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry while Barrett hasn’t quite had the same skill level around him. Fast forward to 2022 with a reinvigorated Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson at point guard, the gap does close a bit.
Their situations are quite different from one another, and that could be a big reason why there’s a debate to begin with. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale compiled a list of 25 players under 25 years old, and in the ranking he has Herro ahead of Barrett, albeit by just a few spots.
Barrett Lower Than Herro
Barrett barely makes it onto the list at number 25 while Herro is a little more safe at 23, with Orlando Magic rookie Paulo Banchero lumped in between them.
In the ranking of Barrett, Favale calls it a “particulary tough” one, but not because of the Herro ranking, but just putting him on the list at all.
“It could have been Michael Porter Jr. if he didn’t have chronic back issues in his rearview,” he wrote. “Collin Sexton could heat up at any moment for an extended period of time. Anfernee Simons is always one shot away from being one shot away from an absolute heater.”
While Herro and Barrett were compared a lot based on each other’s perceived slights at one another and their extensions coming so close to each other, Favale doesn’t make the comparison, but instead lumps the Heat star in with a different guard.
“Distinguishing between Tyler Herro and Jordan Poole is often painted as a maddening exercise,” he wrote. “But just because they’re two not-quite-lead guards who can be targeted on defense doesn’t make them eerily similar.”
Barrett and Herro might find themselves getting compared to each other for the next several years, especially when the two face off against each other. Many fans seem to have already taken their stance, but things can change in a hurry thanks to just a single stretch of games.
When Do They Matchup?
It’ll be a long time before Barrett and Herro see each other on the court as the next matchup between the Heat and Knicks takes place on February 2.
By that time, fans will have a very good idea of how the season is going and whether or not these are two playoff teams we’ll be looking at.
The Knicks have always been projected as a play-in level team, but there’s a chance that Brunson could lift them into further contention. In the case of the Heat, they are expected to be a strong contender in the Eastern Conference, and a trip to the Conference Finals and beyond wouldn’t be surprising.
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