Miami Heat Coach on Tyler Herro's Work Ethic: "He's always in the gym"
After another offseason full of trade rumors, Tyler Herro put his head down and went to work.
Herro is off to a hot start that requires All-Star consideration. He averages 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 45/42/86 splits.
Many thought the start of the season was a fluke and he would come back down to Earth, but Herro has yet to return from space. It's time to accept the ascension.
No matter the opponent, he has delivered in almost every matchup.
"He's relentless with his work. This is not something that just happened with talent. This was a lot of sweat equity behind the scenes." coach Erik Spoelstra said.
That quote led me to find out about Herro's work ethic for myself.
So, I contacted the Miami Heat Strength and Conditioning coach, Matt Houston, to discuss Herro's "relentless" work ethic.
"He's always in the gym," Houston said. "He's either with me in the weight room, at the gym, or with his family. That's all he does."
Herro and Bam Adebayo were just seen working out together on an off day. Herro went to host an event for the kids and went right back to the gym.
"There is nobody working like these dudes." Houston said.
There are no days off, and the play on the court clearly shows that the work is translating.
You see the finishing ability, you see the strength, you see him playing through contact and getting to his spots against All-NBA defenders like Jaden McDaniels.
In his first game back versus the number one ranked defensive team, Minnesota Timberwolves, Herro finished with 25 points and went 8-for-10 inside the paint.
"He's faster than people think he is, he's stronger than people think he is, and he's better than they think he is." Houston said, "It's time they put some respect on him."
Trade rumors are a part of the business, but Herro's name is in it consistently. He didn't pout or feel sorry for himself; he just worked.
"He stayed out of the way," Houston said. "He just worked out."
Herro seems to be one of the young guards who's often left out when those conversations arise, even though the numbers say differently.
"He was like, 'Alright, I'm about to show people," Houston said.
Herro will get a chance to earn some of that respect as he goes head-to-head with Steph Curry tonight as the Heat take on the Golden State Warriors.
Devin Brown is a contributing writer to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at dbrwnjr@gmail.com or Twitter @dbrwnjr.
