Where to place Miami on the new Eastern Conference chessboard? After a season plagued by injuries and a premature exit in the first round of the playoffs against the future champion, Miami did not do anything crazy during the summer transfer window. For Tyler Herrothe reason is simple, Erik Spoelstra's squad already has the weapons to get involved in the fight for the title.
“I don't see why it wouldn't be. We have everything we need.”, he declared.
The 24-year-old guard's case sums up the Heat's situation well: the talent is there, now all that's left is to be healthy. Injuries caused him to miss 40 games last season, and his broken hand also hampered the Floridians' campaign to reach the NBA Finals in 2023. Pat Riley had also criticized him for his lack of physical depth, encouraging him to review his diet on a nutritional level.
A whole group who know they are expected
If the entire group stays in shape, Tyler Herro believes that Miami will be able to join the fight with Boston and its main rivals, Milwaukee, New York and Philadelphia. Stability is also a guarantee of being able to start strong again from the restart, even if Boston, Milwaukee and New York have not revolutionized their rosters either.
“I'm really excited for this season. Obviously a lot of teams in the East think they've improved from the outside. But I think we've improved internally.”he continued. “It may look different, but we have some young guys that we hope will continue to improve. Bam Adebayo and I are young guys that are starting to become full-fledged veterans in this league. Terry Rozier is healthy and ready to compete. And then there’s Jimmy Butler, who is very motivated after not making the playoffs last season. We haven’t been healthy yet. But when we are, we’re going to have a very deep roster. A team with enough depth to make a run in the East and ultimately win an NBA title.”
Health first!
Alongside the Herro-Butler-Adebayo trio, Miami can indeed count on reliable players in their roles like Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love or Josh Richardson, Alec Burks or Thomas Bryant, without forgetting the promising young elements like Jaime Jaquez Jr or Nikola Jovic. It will also be up to the leaders to pull this group forward, particularly for Tyler Herro who can still progress in the game, physically and technically.
“What matters most to me right now is developing my physique and trying to get stronger so I can stay healthy throughout the season.”he continued about his preparation. “As far as building on my strengths, I really want to improve my efficiency to maximize my shooting abilities.”
The Heat leaders will be determined to make Miami exist in the East as soon as play resumes. If Jimmy Butler lamented not having been able to help his team in the playoffs last April, Bam Adebayo will return crowned with a new gold medal won with Team USA at the Paris Olympics. Enough to boost the morale of the troops there too.
“It was fun to see him represent the country and bring home the gold medal. It was cool because I know how much work we’ve done together over the years. To see him continue to play a bigger role, both with Team USA and the Heat, is really cool. I’m really happy for him and I’m ready to get back on the court with him.”he concluded.
| Tyler Herro | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 55 | 27 | 42.8 | 38.9 | 87.0 | 0.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 13.5 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 54 | 30 | 43.9 | 36.0 | 80.3 | 0.5 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 15.1 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 66 | 33 | 44.7 | 39.9 | 86.8 | 0.5 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 20.7 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 67 | 35 | 43.9 | 37.8 | 93.4 | 0.4 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 20.1 |
| 2023-24 | MIA | 42 | 34 | 44.1 | 39.6 | 85.6 | 0.5 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 20.8 |
| Total | 284 | 32 | 44.0 | 38.5 | 87.2 | 0.4 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 18.1 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
