Miami Heat rookie Tyler Herro has flashed loads of talent early in his NBA career. Despite that, he was recently relegated to a bench role for the Heat upon the return of star Jimmy Butler.
While some players might’ve taken such a move as a slight to their ability, Herro seems to fully understand the move and has accepted it with a kind of maturity that is well beyond his years.
“This is my first time, but I’m willing to do whatever coach wants me to do,” said Herro, who the Heat selected with the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft. “Whether it’s start or come off the bench — whatever is best for the team.
“I’ve never come off the bench, so as long as I’m playing my minutes — and however much coach thinks that should be. But as long as I’m playing my minutes that I’ve earned, then I’m good.”
The No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft hasn’t let coming off the bench get in the way of his production. In fact, he enjoyed a career-high 29-point explosion against the Atlanta Hawks last week in his first game coming off the bench.
Still, considering the fact that Herro has always started up to this point in his basketball career, he did admit that the change is taking some getting used to.
“I mean, you treat it like a regular basketball game,” Herro said, “but you definitely have to prepare yourself mentally, especially for someone who doesn’t usually come off the bench. So, you’ve just got to get used to it.”
Early in the season, the Heat have already dealt with a number of off-court issues as well as some nagging injuries to key players. All that to say, it won’t be much of a surprise if Herro finds himself in Miami’s starting unit again sometime soon.
Luckily, the talented rookie has already proven that he can be productive in both a starting or bench role for the Heat.