By Angel Rassi
October 23, 2021
Can Tyler Herro bounce back this season and potentially become Sixth Man of the Year?
Heat fans were high on Tyler Herro after his bubble performance.
In the final 8 regular season games for the 2019-2020 season that were played in the bubble, Herro averaged 17.3 points per game (PPG) , with 3.8 assists per game (APG), and 4.6 rebounds per game. To continue his success in the bubble he averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.7APG, and 5.1 RPG in the 2020 playoffs that were also held inside the bubble. In the middle of that playoff run, he had a career defining game that caught everybody’s attention, when he scored 37 points in game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Herro averaged 15.1 PPG the following season, which was better than the 13.5 PPG in his rookie year, the year before. However, Herro wasn’t as dominant as he was in the bubble, which also caught people’s attention. During his sophomore season Herro was able to average 3.4 APG and 5.0 RPG, which was an improvement from his rookie year where he averaged 2.2 APG and 4.1 RPG, but it was still a downgrade from bubble Herro.
In the offseason Herro got a new motivation, his newborn daughter.
“I feel like I have a reason now. Not that I didn’t before, but now I have another reason to be motivated every single day when I walk into the arena. I have to be the best I can every single day because I have a daughter now. And I’m in a very good spot right now,” Herro said in an interview with The Associated Press.
It seems like the birth of his daughter was just the motivation Herro needed.
During the first four preseason games for the Heat, he led the NBA in points per game, while coming off the bench. In those first four games Herro averaged 25.0 PPG and he finished off the preseason averaging 22.4 PPG, which was the fifth highest in the preseason.
In Miami’s first regular season game, Herro scored 27 points, grabbed six rebounds, and five assists, coming off the bench. He made a half-court, 3-point shot that closed out the first quarter. Herro’s game-high 27 points helped the Heat beat the Bucks by 42 points. He also became the first Heat player to score at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in 25 minutes or less in the past 20 years.
Herro didn't stop there. In the second game of the season, he scored 30 points while grabbing 10 boards. Herro is the first Heat player in franchise history to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Herro seems to be heating back up from his sophomore slump. The question is, can he carry that momentum to a Sixth Man of the Year Award?
If Herro can continue his reign of dominance off the bench for the Heat, it could very well be possible. Currently, his per 36 is 31.6 PPG, which will be difficult to keep up for the whole year. However, if he averages at least 24.0 PPG per 36 minutes, he would be averaging better than the past two Sixth Man of the Year winners, Jordan Clarkson and Montrezl Harrell. Herro would also have to try and keep his rebounds and assists up along with steals to try and win the award.
If Herro performs consistently how he’s been doing off the Heat bench, he could be holding a Sixth Man of the Year Award at the end of the season.
Angel Rassi is the editor in chief and owner of Anything Can Happen In Sports. To contact him for any questions or information on a story, email arassi2018@gmail.com or tweet him @arassi2000.
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