Miami Heat youngster Tyler Herro recently stated that he sees himself on the same playing field as some of the NBA’s brightest young stars, like Luka Doncic and Trae Young.
Of course, Herro’s claim has been met with a good amount of pushback.
NBA legend Charles Barkley recently joined the list of people who do not agree with Herro’s assessment.
“I’m a big Tyler Herro fan, but just because they got the same numbers, those guys have to carry a team every night, and first of all, second issue is he’s playing against backups,” Barkley argued. “When you’re coming off the bench, you’re playing against backups. So, no disrespect, Herro’s a nice little player, but when you are the man, first and foremost, and also, the pressure with going to be the man is not telling anybody, ‘Hey, Tyler, come off the bench, shoot it anytime you want to. You’re playing against scrubs on the second unit.'”
While some folks might not agree with Herro’s take, it’s always good for a young player to be confident. Moreover, the 21-year-old is having a fantastic 2021-22 season so far and has been one of Miami’s most important players through seven games.
Herro is averaging 22.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest. He’s shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from deep.
If he keeps up this type of production, he’ll be a legitimate candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year award.
The former first-round pick had a rocky sophomore campaign in the 2020-21 season, but it’s clear that he’s a different player this year. He’ll look to continue to silence the doubters as the season progresses.