Tyler Herro produced his best performance with the Miami Heat this season thus far, posting a team-high 34 points against the New York Knicks this Wednesday. His impressive offensive display kept the Heat within striking distance, but the team ultimately fell short in a 116-107 loss—a result that raises deeper concerns for Miami moving forward.
Tyler Herro’s Best Game Yet, But Heat Face More Concerns
Herro’s Offensive Game Dive-In
Herro has been averaging 22.3 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this season thus far, highlighting his all-around contribution to the Heat. In his recent scoring performance against the Knicks, Herro put up a notable 60% field goal percentage and has an impressive 43.2% from beyond the arc early in the season.
Herro’s style of play has shifted from a scoring-oriented guard to a more comprehensive one, making him a crucial component of the Heat’s offensive strategy. He has shown comfort in finding open spots and driving to the paint, which allows him to score from various positions on the court. Additionally, Herro has embraced a team-oriented approach, playing off his teammates and contributing to a faster-paced game plan set by Coach Erik Spoelstra.
“At the beginning of last season, he was off to a great start,” Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints in the Knicks postgame. “And then the year before that, he really had a great offensive year, you know, I think the biggest difference now is he has more physicality defensively, and he’s making a lot of great plays offensively, it’s not just about scoring. He’s been able to do that for last couple years and no one has just been paying attention to that, but he’s becoming much more of a complete basketball player.”
Herro’s offensive capabilities have significantly impacted the Miami Heat’s performance in their wins. His ability to score efficiently and create opportunities for his teammates has been a positive influence, even in games where the team struggled overall. Despite some challenges in consistently involving Bam Adebayo in the offense, Herro’s playmaking has been a bright spot.
Further Concerns: Heat couldn’t parallel Herro’s Prowess
While Herro has delivered strong individual performances, the Heat have struggled to harmonize his playing style with key teammates like Jimmy Butler and Adebayo. This issue became especially clear during their matchup against the Knicks on Wednesday, where Butler and Adebayo combined for just 26 points across roughly 35 minutes each. Adebayo’s reduced usage this season has noticeably impacted his scoring ability.
Herro has recognized the need to better involve Adebayo to strengthen the team’s offensive cohesion. Adebayo’s lack of touches is a growing concern for the Heat, especially given his response in the face of Karl-Anthony Towns’ dominant 44-point performance. Coach Erik Spoelstra can’t afford for Adebayo to be sidelined in such key moments, as this could leave the Heat exposed in the paint.
Terry Rozier also highlighted the team’s ongoing third-quarter struggles, which have been evident in two recent losses.
“I think we wanted to take care of the third quarter because it’s been hurting us these first three games. We think we controlled it at the beginning, and, then we didn’t stay with it. We didn’t do the things that got us the lead. It’s tough to not score then get back on defense and definitely not guard nobody, especially once they start feeling (themselves),” Rozier said.
The Heat managed to keep the game close going into the third quarter against the Knicks, but the tide turned quickly when Miami was outscored by 13 points. They faced a similar scenario in their season opener against the Orlando Magic, where they put up just 18 points compared to Orlando’s 39. Fading midway through games is a troubling trend, and Spoelstra will need to address it if he hopes to avoid putting the team in fourth-quarter comebacks with increased pressure.
