Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro Quickly Acclimating to Life in the NBA

The 13th overall pick in the 2019 Draft has been as good as advertised early on in his NBA career.

Tyler Herro, a Kentucky kid, has almost seamlessly transitioned into life in the NBA, under the bright lights of Miami. Billed as a deadly sharpshooter, Herro has shown that he is so much more than that. When he made his Summer League debut, he showed an uncanny ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own offence and the ability to use his length to show glimpses of potential on the defensive end.

“Every day’s a new day,” explained Herro to Gad Elmaleh of BallnRoll after the Heat’s most recent visit to Toronto. “Summer League was a great experience for me coming in as a rookie – continuing to get better there. It was a real fun experience and definitely gave me confidence coming into the season after the Summer.”

Despite a quiet performance in his first appearance north of the border, the Heat were able to come away with a 121-110 victory over the Raptors, snapping the win streak of the reigning NBA champs. Despite having the occasional off-night, Herro has very quickly turned into a cornerstone piece in Miami.

“The biggest adjustment is all the free time we have and it doesn’t help being in Miami, obviously,” Said Herro, who scored six points against the Raptors in the win. “Just being able to have a routine and a schedule is one thing I learned early on.”

“Miami is a beautiful city so you know,” he added. “I think if you use it right, for the right reasons, stay away from the distractions and things like that, I think you’ll be fine.”

Through his first 23 career games, Herro has averaged 13.9 points per game, while shooting an impressive 38-percent from long range, showing complete fearlessness when holding the ball behind the arc. It is a stone cold attitude that he has developed over time and it’s a characteristic that has evolved with some help from fellow Wildcat alum and current Phoenix Suns star, Devin Booker.

“Just both of us being from Kentucky,” commented Herro on how Booker became almost like a mentor for him. “Both went to school there so he kind of just hit me up when I made it there and just let me know to keep working and that I have a bright future. It meant a lot for sure, but like I say, I’m trying to continue to get better every day.”

Jimmy Butler: "I can't swim." Tyler Herro: "I can't swim either." Butler: "You can't swim? Oh you got some hood tendencies." pic.twitter.com/mdC4vVJvjL — The Render (@TheRenderNBA2) December 10, 2019

When asked how he feels to be compared to Booker, Herro remained humble in the moment: “It’s an honour, I still have a long way to go. He’s a great player, so it’s an honour, this early in my career, for sure.”

As Herro continues to get acclimated to life in the NBA, he has luckily fallen into the right situation in Miami. A franchise known for instilling a great culture and owning one of the best developmental systems in the league, Herro is in the perfect position to succeed and having proven veterans like Jimmy Butler in his corner can only improve his chance of reaching stardom.

“Jimmy has really helped me,” said Herro. “Him being the vet, he took me under his wing. Just trying to make me better every day. You know, giving me tips, but yes, Jimmy has really helped me.”

Continuing the long line of Kentucky Wildcats who come from the John Calipari system, Herro is destined for success on the NBA level.