When the Miami Heat made their first pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft, they used it on University of Kentucky guard Tyler Herro.
In the opinion of the team’s president Pat Riley, Herro was the best player to take for the Heat’s purposes.
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One pre-draft scouting report indicated that the 6-foot-5 Herro has the potential to provide instant offense, though he is somewhat streaky. However, he is virtually automatic from the free-throw line and has shown improvement on the defensive side of the ball.
Herro spent only one year with the Wildcats, averaging 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a starter in all 37 of the school’s games. From the field, he connected at a rate of 46.2 percent, while his percentage from beyond the arc was 35.5 percent.
One Heat player who figures to offer Herro a warm welcome will be center Bam Adebayo, who also attended Kentucky. Last month, Adebayo had publicly advocated for the Heat to choose one of three Wildcats who ended up being selected in the first round, getting his wish when Herro’s name was called.
At just 19 years of age, Herro has plenty of time to develop in the Heat’s rigorous development system. The team is trying to get back to the postseason in the post-Dwayne Wade era and could offer an improved version of the role that Tyler Johnson was in before he was dealt away in February.
Herro’s first opportunity to show what he has to offer will come next month, when he takes part in Summer League action for the Heat.
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