Can Tyler Herro be a legitimate contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award this season?
Tyler Herro, in two NBA seasons, has experienced the ups and downs of his career with the Miami Heat. Getting the bad out of the way should incentivize Tyler Herro to have a heralded year for the darkhorse favorite Miami Heat. With so many veterans on the roster to take a little of the heat off Tyler Herro, doesn't he have a legitimate chance of winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year?
Tyler Herro over the last 3 preseason games:
26 PTS - 4 REB - 75% FG
24 PTS - 9 REB - 53% FG
26 PTS - 2 REB - 48% FG
🔥 https://t.co/yBGj9EnMtu
Tyler Herro is now a veteran
Tyler Herro burst onto the Miami Heat playoff scene as if he'd been there before. He was confident in his playmaking and seizing of the moment. The Miami Heat, in part because of his play, unexpectedly advanced to the NBA Finals. Last season was a definitive one 180 degree turn for the negative for Tyler Herro in his basketball life, so 2021-22 looks to be a clean slate.
Tyler Herro just scored 14 STRAIGHT POINTS 🔥 (via @MiamiHEAT) https://t.co/K9veCe5W99
Kyle Lowry
For the Miami Heat to get the same fire from 2020 back, a bull dog had to be brought in to run the point, control the tempo and give the Miami Heat an attitude that burned from the bench to the locker room. Kyle Lowry, a few years removed from his championship experience with the Toronto Raptors, is an advantageous piece that Pat Riley and Erik Spolestra needed to right the ship. He'll teach Tyler Herro a lot about toughness in the moment, that's for sure.
Duncan Robinson
With the Miami Heat backcourt looking like Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson as starters, Tyler Herro should be first off the bench. Duncan Robinson resembles the best shooter in the league in streaks, and he provides from the outside what Tyler Herro has not as of yet. Duncan Robinson is obviously more of a gifted shooter than Tyler Herro, yet Duncan Robinson doesn't possess the all-round game of Tyler Herro. Until Tyler Herro develops and is ready to step into a bigger role in the starting five, Duncan Robinson is the right man for the job.
Erik Spolestra
Erik Spolestra is known as a coach getting a lot out of his players, and Tyler Herro seems to be the next in line. He's an immensely talented player who simply needs to be more consistent in the minutes he plays. With a head coach who has seen the entire careers of superstar players with the Miami Heat, what he can offer Tyler Herro is immeasurable.
Can Tyler Herro win NBA 6th Man of the Year?
In short, yes. The backcourt of Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson will weaken teams having to deal with their distinctly different styles of play and when Erik Spolestra looks down at his bench and calls Tyler Herro's name, you can best believe Tyler Herro will be ready to perform and perform well. If he continues to average in the 14-17 point realm off the bench, Tyler Herro will be in contention to win. It is in these moments that Tyler Herro will shine mightily for the Miami Heat, and as his team sparkles at the top of the Eastern Conference all season long, Tyler Herro might waltz to the award.