Following a summer in which he was constantly attached to trade rumors involving Damian Lillard, Heat guard Tyler Herro believes it's his time to shine.
Going into his fifth NBA season, Herro seems displeased by the notion that he wasn’t sufficient trade value for Lillard. Some observers wondered how could Miami reasonably expect the Trail Blazers to move their superstar without offering much more.
Herro says he’s using that perception as motivation going into the 2023-24 season. The standout shooting guard plans to show that he is indeed an elite player and has major aspirations to reach those heights.
“I’m one of the best young scorers in the league,” Herro told The Ringer's Wes Goldberg, “and I have the potential to be the best scorer in the NBA at some point.”
Tyler Herro appreciation post
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At face value, Herro’s boast appears absurd. He’s been a 20-point scorer in each of his past two seasons, something he points out that detractors said he couldn’t achieve. But that is far below what the NBA’s top scorers are putting up.
The 76ers’ Joel Embiid led the league with an average of 33.1 points per game last season. Lillard ranked third with a 32.2 average. Jimmy Butler, Herro’s teammate, averaged 22.9 points, ranking No. 22. At 20.1 points per game, Herro placed No. 41 among NBA scorers in 2022-23. He has a long climb ahead.
However, Herro is only 23 years old. His scoring production at that age matches current stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić and Jayson Tatum. But as the chatter among NBA fans and media indicated, Herro isn’t yet considered at that level.
Herro doesn’t want to become the league’s top scorer just to quiet his critics. He says he also wants to be an indispensable player who will no longer have to worry about being traded.
