The Miami Heat are off to a slow start this season, as they’ve lost five of their first seven games.
Since Miami didn’t make any major additions in the offseason, some Heat fans are extra frustrated about the squad’s poor start to the campaign.
The Heat did sign young guard Tyler Herro to a major extension in early October in perhaps their biggest move of the offseason. Herro has found himself in the starting lineup in all seven of Miami’s games so far this season.
According to Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce, Herro is the “only consistency” the Heat have right now.
“I think with them, they gotta do it collectively, and I just ain’t seeing it right now,” Pierce said. “Like Bam [Adebayo], we thought he was gonna turn into a perennial All-Star, and he’s kind of been up and down. The only consistency they got is probably Tyler Herro.”
Herro is averaging 19.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season. He’s shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
It’s worth noting that the 22-year-old is actually getting the exact same amount of playing time this season as he did last season at 32.6 minutes per game.
Of course, in the 2021-22 campaign, Herro took home Sixth Man of the Year honors by putting together an impressive season off the bench in all but 10 appearances. He averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. In the process, he shot 44.7 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from deep.
It’s certainly bold of Pierce to say that Herro is the only consistency Miami has.
Jimmy Butler has been pretty solid for the most part this season, as he’s averaging 21.3 points, 6.4 boards and 5.1 assists per contest. He has been outstanding from an efficiency standpoint, as he’s shooting 49.0 percent from the field and a whopping 43.8 percent from deep.
As for Adebayo, he’s averaging 17.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game so far this season. He may not be a perennial All-Star, but he’s certainly a key ingredient for Miami.
In fairness to Pierce, it’s reasonable to think that the Heat’s current roster needs some help. Miami didn’t really improve over the offseason while multiple other contenders did.
Time will tell if the Heat make any splashes before this season’s trade deadline.
