Why The Miami Heat Shouldn't Trade Tyler Herro
Miami Heat star guard Tyler Herro recently announced he aims to return to action Monday or Wednesday.
The Heat avoided a slide in the standings while battling a ton of injuries to start the season thanks to the resurgence of Duncan Robinson and veteran-like play from rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr.
When healthy, the Heat again looks like a deep roster that teams should fear.
There are always conversations surrounding Herro's fit and place on the team amongst the Heat fanbase.
So let's look into the numbers before Herro went down with injury:
Herro averaged 22.9 points, five rebounds, and four assists while shooting 41 percent from three. He has elevated his game year after year since entering the league.
The ball handling is tighter, and the defensive effort is there.
One of the most notable is his finishing ability. Last season, Herro finished shooting 56.2 percent from inside the paint, the highest of his career.
The PivotFade.com shot chart shows 58 percent of those baskets are unassisted. Herro was just finding ways to get a bucket, which this Heat team desperately needs.
According to bball-index.com, here are his grades in "Finishing Talent" over the years:
2020: C-
2021: C+
2022: B+
2023: A-
He has shown continuous growth. Trades, rumors, and speculation get the people going, but moving on from Herro, 23, would be a mistake if not for a clear upgrade.
Robinson has bounced back and looks like a starter again, but this doesn't mean either has to be traded.
It's a long season. Robinson may go through a shooting slump, and Jaquez can hit a rookie wall at any moment.
Having multiple options is a good thing.
Herro's performances earlier this season versus the Eastern Conference favorites Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics were perfect examples.
The Heat will need Herro's ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot, especially against the length of those teams.
In the Bucks matchup, Herro got to the free throw line 10 times and attacked Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard relentlessly.
"We were playing at an All-NBA level, we were gonna make All-NBA," Herro said in his Boy Wonder's World documentary series.
However, since missing 18 games, Herro will not be able to receive any NBA awards since he won't meet the new 65-game requirement.
If Herro can return right where he left off before the injury, the Heat will be back in the mix to make another conference finals run.
Devin Brown is a contributing writer to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at dbrwnjr@gmail.com or Twitter @dbrwnjr.
