Opinion: Miami Heat Best Off With Tyler Herro As Sixth Man

Tony Mejia | Sep 12, 2024

Apr 29, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) warms up to play the Boston Celtics in game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Laughlin-Imagn Images / Michael Laughlin-Imagn Images

With training camp beginning Oct. 1 in The Bahamas, the Miami Heat can officially begin putting a disappointing season behind them. 

Two ways to immediately turn the page and flush a forgettable post-Finals run is for Jimmy Butler to take the lead-up to the season seriously and Tyler Herro to officially return to a Sixth Man role. 

Butler, outside of taking his hilarious “Emo Jimmy” media day pictures, didn’t do much on the floor last preseason. This is the same guy who showed up for his first preseason with the Heat back in 2019 putting in work at 3:30 a.m. to set the tone, but every season carries different challenges. Coming off a rough run, it would be nice to see him engaged immediately.

The equally important Herro tweak doesn’t have to be announced on Day 1. As the weeks leading up to the season opener against Orlando Oct. 23 unfold, coach Erik Spoelstra choosing to bring the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year off the bench and Herro saying he’s fully on board in embracing the role would represent a huge step forward.

Herro was barely part of the NBA Finals run in ‘23, breaking his hand in the Game 1 of the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks after helping the team survive the play-in thanks to a comeback win over the Chicago Bulls. With Herro starting all 67 games he appeared in, Miami finished 44-38 and won just seven of its first 18 games. That group proved to be better without him.

Don’t mistake that as a knock on Herro. He earned his Sixth Man award. He’s a gifted playmaker and few score as effectively at his position when he finds a rhythm. Still, he’s a suspect defender, and since Terry Rozier is set to be cleared to return to 5-on-5 action as training camp begins, it’s best for Miami to deploy a better defender alongside its diminutive point guard in the starting five.

Although Caleb Martin is now with the Philadelphia 76ers, Josh Richardson and Haywood Highsmith return as top candidates to give Spoelstra a top perimeter defender to use on opposing wings without having to rely on Butler in that role at the beginning of games.

Herro could then join Jaime Jaquez, Jr. as a game-changing playmaker off the bench.

Last season, Herro averaged 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists despite missing large portions of November, December, February and all of March. He was largely responsible for Miami’s only win in the first-round series loss to Boston, finishing with 24 points and 14 assists to lead a depleted group, but the Heat went just 25-23 in games he started last season. Although those points and assists averages were career bests, they were in line with the numbers he produced as the Heat’s top reserve three seasons ago.

Miami went 53-29 in ‘21-’22, notching the franchise’s best winning percentage since LeBron James returned to Cleveland following the 2013-14 season. The Heat reached the conference finals.

Things simply haven’t been as good since,. Herro’s removal from a role he excelled at is a significant common denominator in the decline.

Last season, Herro came off the bench upon returning from a 20-game absence on April 5 due to knee and foot injuries. He averaged 19 points in his two-game stint, but he’s basically been exclusively a starter when healthy. Although there are other factors in play, Miami simply hasn’t been as effective when he’s not coming off Spoelstra’s bench. There’s now a significant sample size of well over 100 games backing that up. 

At just 24, Herro still has tremendous upside.

However, for Miami to return to glory in an Eastern Conference that now features the reigning champion Boston Celtics and loaded fellow rivals in the 76ers, Bucks and Knicks, it needs to maximize the contents of its roster and make the most of Butler’s final year or two as a driving force in the NBA. Herro returning to his comfort zone as one of the most impactful reserves in the league would play a huge role in another Finals run and part of Heat culture is doing whatever it takes to win.

Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tynce1414@gmail.

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