Tyler Herro scored a season-high 31 points Saturday against the Washington Wizards, but it wasn’t his offensive performance that impressed head coach Erik Spoelstra.
According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Spoelstra has noticed that Herro, who finished with nine rebounds, has been making improvements on defense, as well.
“He’s made significant jumps in his defense, when we had him guard Brandon Ingram one game, had him guard Jayson Tatum another game. It shows you how far he’s come defensively. He’s had 15 rebounds in a game. He’s making much better reads on different coverages, where it’s not always just the shot, but it’s making plays for others. I think his game is growing.”
Herro put the league on notice during Miami’s 2020 playoff run, showcasing just how great of a scorer he can be. Whether it’s hitting threes or creating his own shot from other spots on the floor, he was able to produce from nearly anywhere on the floor.
If he’s able to continue to develop as a defender, Herro’s ceiling as an NBA player will only continue to rise. Getting defensive assignments like Jayson Tatum and Brandon Ingram shows just how much the Heat coaching staff trusts Herro’s ability on that end of the floor as those two guys are top scorers in the league.
After being selected with the No. 13 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Tyler Herro is already making the case that he should have been taken much sooner than that.
