On Wednesday night, the Miami Heat secured a crucial victory at Kaseya Center, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 134-93. The dominant win not only boosted their record for the 2024-25 NBA season but also sent a strong message that they’re ready to compete with the league’s elite teams. Following the game, head coach Erik Spoelstra took a moment to single out one of his star players for special praise.
“What I like about it is he’s one of the best shooters on the planet, and he’s ignitable,” Spoelstra said of Tyler Herro during his postgame press conference. The coach’s words were a glowing endorsement of the young guard’s shooting ability, which was on full display in the blowout win. Herro finished with 31 points, shooting 11-of-19 from the field and 9-of-16 from beyond the arc.
“If you just stay with it, at any point, he can go on one of those avalanches. But you know, you give him open threes, which the last couple of games, he was getting good looks, and that’s just the nature of the game,” Spoelstra continued. “Sometimes it doesn’t go for you, but those are great looks, and then you’re still able to do other things.”
Spoelstra also pointed to Herro’s ability to quickly shift momentum when he finds his rhythm. “When he sees, like, three go, it can go to six super fast. And he got 16 attempts up? Imagine if he got 20, Is that unreasonable?”
However, Spoelstra emphasized that for Herro to truly shine, it’s not just about his individual talent, but also the team’s ability to put him in the right positions to succeed. “Again, it always has to be, you know, the relationship between our attacks and that.” Spoelstra explained. “But, you know, our attackers want our guys shooting like that. So we’ll continue to work on that, but the guys are trying to make it easier for each other.”
Herro at his best
Tyler Herro’s 2024-25 season is shaping up to be the best of his career. The young guard is currently averaging 24.1 points per game, significantly surpassing his previous career-high of 20.8 points from last season. He’s also posting the highest assist numbers of his career, with 4.9 per game, further demonstrating his all-around growth.
Miami teammates celebrate Herro’s success
Erik Spoelstra wasn’t the only one praising Herro’s standout performance in the win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Heat center Bam Adebayo also acknowledged Tyler’s growth, particularly given the criticism he’s faced in the past.
“Considering a lot of media and fans have dogged him in the past due to past performances, this is his moment right now,” Bam Adebayo said to journalist Zachary Weinberger. “He’s having his moment. And when you see somebody having that, he enjoyed my moments, so for me, just feelings mutual. I’m happy for him going out there doing what he does, which is getting buckets.”