Erik Spoelstra’s tenure with the Miami Heat has ended, but it would be wise to keep an eye on what he does next. A former player for Duke University and current front office executive at the Hornets is about to enter a new era of NBA basketball.
Erik Spoelstra is a former NBA player and current head coach of the Miami Heat. On Wednesday, he dropped a truth bomb on Tyler Herro’s importance to the team.
The Miami Heat are still in first place in the Eastern Conference, with a 45-24 record. They’ve been the East’s top dog for almost the entire year, owing in large part to their great collective effort as a group.
Regardless, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra recently made a revelation concerning Tyler Herro’s crucial position on the team. Miami has reached a stage, according to the 51-year-old shot-caller, when they rely largely on Herro’s offense during games:
Over the weekend, Spoelstra said that “it’s reached to the point where we’re reliant” on his scoring. “He’s becoming a lot better defensively as well.” “He’s showing a lot more awareness and energy on the weak side [defensively] off the ball,” Spoelstra said, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
It’s fantastic to hear coach Spo praise Herro’s defensive improvements, but what also comes through in his comments is how “reliant” the Heat have gotten on Herro’s scoring. The 22-year-old is now averaging 20.9 points per game off the bench for Miami, making him a highly valuable asset. This season, Herro has firmly established himself as possibly the finest player in the NBA who comes off the bench. This is shown by the fact that he is the obvious favorite for the Sixth Man of the Year award this season.
Is this anything to be concerned about for the Heat? They don’t want to become excessively reliant on Tyler Herro in their offensive. An awful accident might occur at any moment, and Herro will, of course, have his off nights from time to time (although this has been far and few in between this season).
Erik Spoelstra, on the other hand, is one of the top coaches in the NBA today. He has a thorough awareness of his team’s capabilities, and he isn’t the sort to become too reliant on a single player. Players like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry, among others, are capable of exploding offensively when called upon. Miami also boasts one of the deepest benches in the league, allowing them to be well-prepared when Herro isn’t scoring.
However, this has not been the case for the most of the season. In fact, there have been instances when the third-year guard has seemed unstoppable on offense. The Heat are more than happy to ride the Tyler Herro wave as long as he’s on fire.
Herro’s goal isn’t only about scoring. He realizes that when he’s on the court, opposition defenders would naturally gravitate towards him, thus he’s been able to widen his game to include his teammates:
On Saturday, coach Erik Spoelstra stated, “His confidence is absolutely booming right now.” “He’s bringing us a lot of excellent stuff.” “I’ve always been a scorer, but now I’m also a playmaker.”
Herro is averaging a career-high 3.8 assists per game right now. He’s made significant progress in this area of his game, giving him an even more deadly menace to opposing teams. Herro, according to Heat veteran Kyle Lowry, is more than capable of taking the next step in his growth as a star:
Herro’s “next step,” according to Lowry, is “his becoming a great playmaker.” He’ll improve as a passer and creator while still getting to his areas and being able to do both equally effectively.”
Herro had a bit of a sophomore slump in his second season in the NBA last season. This was after a debut season in which he dominated the league. Last season, there was considerable question about Herro and whether he was the genuine thing or just a one-hit wonder. This season, he’s answered that question strongly.
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