Tyler Herro had a fantastic rookie season when the Miami Heat shocked everyone by making a deep runin the 2020 bubble, losing to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals.
Sadly,all the excitement he sparked that season seemed to vanish with a lacklustersophomore year. Butthe shooting guard is proving his talent again in the Heat’s amazing start to the 2021-22 season.
Just a few weeks ago, Herro mentioned in an interview he felt a bit underrated, claiming he deserves to be considered in the same category as the likes of Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Ja Morant, who are all seen as the future NBA superstars. But Charles Barkley disagrees, even after his explosive start to the new campaign.
Charles Barkley doesn’t believe Tyler Herro is in the same category as Luka Doncic, Trae Young
If his sour performances last season raised some concerns about his talent, Tyler Herro is making sure of putting any doubts on him to rest. Averaging 22.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, he is on pace to becoming6th man of the year.
But that doesn’t seem to be enough for Barkley. “That’s the difference that I want to make,” he said. “I like Tyler Herro. I’m a big Tyler Herro fan, but just because they got the same numbers, those guys have to carry a team every night.
“Second issue is he’s playing against backups. When you’re coming off the bench, you’re playing against backups. So, no disrespect, Herro’s a nice little player, but when you are the man, first and foremost, and also, the pressure with going to be the man is not telling anybody, ‘Hey, Tyler, come off the bench, shoot it anytime you want to. You’re playing against scrubs on the second unit. He’s a fine player, but trying to say you are capable of carrying a team every night, that’s a different mentality.”
It’s true that Herro has a different role than Doncic and Young, but his contribution coming off the bench shouldn’t be disregarded. In fact, Herro has been key in the Heat’s strong run this season, for instance by dropping a game high 25 points in Miami’s 125-110 win at theMavericks.
His past season may have raised some doubts but, as long as he continues at this level, Tyler Herro can make a case to be considered at the same tier as other playershis age.
