Miami Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro is on the verge of what may arguably be his most important NBA season to date.
As the defending Sixth Man of the Year award winner, Herro will now get the chance to prove that he deserves to be on the team’s starting five. He is also currently scheduled to become a restricted free agent in 2023 and is surely going to try to state his case for why he deserves a big contract.
Right now, he seems to be doing and saying all the right things. He’s been working very hard this offseason and also appears to have the confidence needed to take that next step in his progression.
On Wednesday, Herro sent out a brief warning to his teammate Jimmy Butler about the level of fitness that he is currently at. Moreover, he sent a warning to all of his doubters, letting them know that he has seen all the doubts and criticism that has been thrown his way since his disappointing playoff run last season.
Tyler Herro told me he’s at 198 pounds and 4.5% body fat.
“Lowest body fat on the team. Make sure Jimmy knows that.”
And yes, he sees everything said about him.
“I’m coming out this season, guns blazing.”
Full 1-on-1 on @5OTF_ tonight
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) September 28, 2022
In the 2021-22 regular season, Herro took a major leap in his on-court production for the Heat despite the fact that he served in bench role once again. He averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in the regular season. His production and ability to serve as an immediate scoring boost for the team earned him the Sixth Man of the Year honors.
However, once the playoffs got started, Herro’s production took a noticeable step back. He only averaged 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. More importantly, his shooting percentages plummeted.
The most noticeable chance was seen in his 3-point shooting. Though he logged a solid 39.9 percent shooting from deep during the regular season, he managed to score on only 22.9 percent of his 3-point tries in the playoffs.
Clearly, that is something that Herro will have to bounce back from if he wants his 2022-23 season to be a success.
Based on the warning that he issued to his doubters, it seems abundantly clear that he has gotten over whatever was ailing him during the playoffs. Hopefully, that renewed confidence will lead to a level of success that Heat fans have not yet seen from the former first-round pick.
