The Miami Heat will face the Milwaukee Bucks next, and Tyler Herro has plenty of reasons to look forward to the matchup.
First of all, he grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee, so his family and friends will likely be at Fiserv Forum on Monday. It could serve as inspiration for the fifth-year pro as he looks to help the Heat snap a two-game losing streak after the team suffered a 106-90 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
“Definitely excited,” Herro said about the next game. “Any time I can play at home in front of my family and my friends is always fun. You know, it’s definitely been in the back of my mind for a couple different reasons. It will be a good game to bounce back after tonight, so I’m excited for it.”
There are other reasons for Herro to mark the date on his calendar. For one, he played in just one contest during the Heat’s first-round battle against the Bucks in last season’s playoffs. He had 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting when he needed to exit Game 1 after playing just over 19 minutes because of a hand injury.
Herro missed the rest of the postseason, while Miami went on to reach the NBA Finals. Some folks have wondered how much the Heat really needed the shooting guard last season when they were able to upset the top-seeded Bucks without him.
On the other hand, people can only imagine how differently the Heat would have fared versus the Denver Nuggets in the championship round had he been healthy.
Facing off against Damian Lillard on Monday might also give Herro some extra motivation. After all, Miami’s pursuit of the star point guard this past offseason had the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year reportedly on the trading block once more, even if he said in early October that the organization told him a Lillard trade wasn’t going to happen.
“Of course,” Herro said of having added motivation for Monday’s game in Milwaukee. “Every game is another opportunity to prove ourselves, prove myself. You see, obviously, the reasons that are on my mind. I’m just excited to be back in Milwaukee and playing.”
Herro can try to prove on Monday that Miami was better off keeping him and the other assets it would have had to give up in order to acquire Lillard.
Early this season, he has continued to showcase how potent of a scorer he can be, averaging 22.0 points per game in the first three contests. However, his efficiency has left a lot to be desired, as he is converting just 37.3 percent of his attempts from the field. The Heat will likely need Herro to do better in that regard if they want to get back in the win column on Monday.