It was anticipated that guard Tyler Herro would remain a fixture in the Miami Heat’s starting lineup for the foreseeable future after he inked a four-year, $130 million contract with the franchise.
NBA expert Brian Windhorst would not be surprised if the organization thought about sending Herro back to a sixth-man role even though he has been in the starting lineup for most of the 2022–23 regular season.
According to Windhorst, Herro’s inclusion in the starting lineup hasn’t improved the team’s defense.
He said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought about bringing Herro back to the bench. Max Strus started for them last season and was sitting on the bench. He has been a reserve player.
Herro would undoubtedly be dissatisfied if given another job coming off the bench. He was explicit about his belief that he deserved to be the Heat’s starter this season throughout the 2022 summer.
Herro recently added that he thinks his skill level is comparable to emerging stars like Ja Morant, Trae Young, and Luka Doncic.
When asked if he thought he was on the same level as those guys, he responded, “I think my numbers back it up, and I also think I continue to grow better.” However, there are a lot of excellent young players in the league, and I am one of them, so I thank everyone who includes me in that group.
The head coach of the Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, will genuinely act in the team’s best interests. Likely, Herro will eventually play the role of a spark plug that comes off the bench if he believes that would benefit the squad more.
After all, Heat supporters are aware that Herro can contribute as a sixth player. In the previous season, he averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award.
It’s interesting to note that despite playing in just 10 of the 66 games he began last season, he averaged more minutes per game than he has this year. He played an average of 32.6 minutes per game last year, but he is only playing an average of 29.8 minutes per game this year.
There is no denying that the Heat’s start to the current season has been sluggish. They have a 3-5 overall record and are the No. 12 seed. Herro is not solely responsible for that, although he does contribute.
After sustaining an eye injury, Herro played fewer than 10 minutes in the Heat’s victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. As the Heat get ready to play the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, his health will be a concern.