When you’re a rookie in the NBA trying to find your way, a little praise from fellow players can go a long way, especially when said praise comes from established stars.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro has already gotten some props from some household NBA names.
“Before the Heat played the Nets last season, [Kevin] Durant – who is expected to miss the season with an injury – told Herro: ‘I like the way you play and keep working,’ Herro said,” wrote Jackson.
“[Kyrie] Irving told him ‘he liked the way I started [the season], keep continuing to get better.’
“Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Chicago’s Zach LaVine also offered praise and encouragement.”
Herro is averaging 13.3 points a game so far this season while hitting 37.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. He has already become a go-to-guy for the Heat, who are in third place in the Eastern Conference at 26-10 and have won seven of their last nine games.
This is evident in Herro’s clutch stats.
“Among guards who have taken at least 15 shots in the clutch (defined by the NBA as the final five minutes of a game with a margin of five points or fewer), Herro is fourth in the league in shooting percentage at 52.9 percent (10 for 19),” wrote Jackson.
“And he’s 7 for 13 on clutch threes (53.8 percent); only Joe Harris and Kelly Oubre Jr. have made a higher percentage of clutch threes.”
Herro had a big December in which he came up big in some of the Heat’s biggest wins. In particular, he hit clutch shots against the Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers.
He has also reportedly earned the trust of teammates such as Jimmy Butler, as well as head coach Erik Spoelstra, which is no easy feat for a rookie.
