Promising Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is having the best season of his young career so far.
Entering the 2021-22 season, many across the league questioned whether Herro would take another leap this year. When the promising youngster said that he should be mentioned in the same conversation as players like Luka Doncic and Trae Young, some people, such as Charles Barkley, scoffed at the idea.
However, Udonis Haslem came to his teammate’s defense and explained why Herro is indeed on the same level as those stars.
Recently, the Heat veteran called out those who said that he was “crazy” for making such a claim.
“I remember the conversation coming into the season,” Haslem said. “People were like, ‘I was crazy to co-sign Tyler being in the conversation with Luka and Trae Young.’ People thought I was crazy to co-sign. I was like, ‘I’m not crazy. I know what I see.’
“We talk about guys that get to start and play 30-plus minutes and take 20-plus shots. And a guy that doesn’t start and plays in a more controlled system. Everybody eats here. The ball moves here. If you gave Tyler the opportunity you gave those guys, not saying he would be better than those guys, but he would be just as good. I see the talent and skill set of Tyler every day. I kind of know what I’m talking about. I’m proud of him. He understands all of this, the Sixth Man of the Year, is built around winning. If we’re not winning, none of that matters.”
Herro has been stellar for Miami this season. He is the team’s second-leading scorer in terms of points per contest. His 20.9 points per game trail only Jimmy Butler’s 21.4 points per match. However, because Herro has appeared in more contests than Butler, Herro actually leads the team in total points with 1,170.
In addition to his scoring prowess, Herro has also added value in multiple other areas in the 2021-22 campaign. He is contributing 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
The University of Kentucky product has been on a tear recently. Over his last 10 contests, he has averaged 25.0 points per game while maintaining efficient shooting clips from the field (50.6 percent) and beyond the arc (46.5 percent.)
Miami is currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a 45-24 record. The Heat will look to extend their lead in the conference when they end a seven-game home stand with upcoming contests against the Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder.