The Miami Heat are entering a new era in the history of the franchise. And when this coming season tips off, it's looking like Tyler Herro is finally going to get what he's been desiring: to be the top scoring option on this team.
In an article from The Athletic's Jared Weiss from April, he details how Jimmy Butler told Tyler before this past season that "his time was coming." As it turned out, that time was sooner than anyone expected, given that Herro was vaulted into a much bigger role after Butler was ultimately traded away ahead of the February trade deadline.
That circumstance has left Tyler in a bit of a strange situation. No one would doubt that he, as any player, would want to be the first scoring option on his team. That's the kind of stuff you dream about as a kid and pretend to act out while shooting on your driveway hoop.
But it's also not the easiest position to find yourself in. Having the reins handed to you after being a second option for the first six seasons of your career is not a simple transition, and it's always going to involve growing pains.
Tyler Herro is going to get a massive opportunity this coming season
As of right this moment, it would seem that the consensus opinion of Herro from most is that he's best suited as a second or third option on a team vying for a championship. But that's precisely what this opportunity is presenting itself for. Tyler is now going to either prove that assumption correct, or dismantle it.
Weiss also notes that Herro has been getting ramped up for the position he now finds himself in for some time. Back in the spring of 2024, the Heat faced off with the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs without Jimmy Butler. Tyler described that experience as one that gave him an outline of what works and what doesn't against the game's best defenders.
And although Herro might not be at the level now that he eventually wants to be at, he's not backing down from the criticism. "I love it. That’s how I grew up. So that’s my natural habitat, fiery, just talking s--- and understanding that it’s basketball,” Herro said. “Just talking s--- about basketball, bro. It’s not the end of the world.”
The vast majority of NBA fans and observers would say that Miami is going to need another franchise player alongside Tyler Herro if they want to get back to the prior level they were at. But while nearly everyone is ready to count number 14 out, he's embracing this opportunity.
He has no doubt spent the summer working through cleaning up weaknesses in his game, sharpening his defense, and becoming more ready for the big offensive load he's about to carry. Heat fans can look forward to watching a focused and determined Herro in 2025-26.