The rise of the Miami Heat to the top of the
Eastern Conference in the regular season and into a dark horse to represent the
conference in The Finals has come because of the excellent play of their
All-Stars Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry. As great as that threesome
has been, the stellar play of the guy they call their sixth starter has gotten
them over the top. A career year by that former lottery pick earned him the
league’s top honor last week.
Last Tuesday, Heat third-year guard Tyler
Herro won the 2021-22 Kia Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the first player in
team history to win the award behind career-high averages of 20.7 points, which
led all reserves, five rebounds, and four assists on 44.7 percent from the
field, 39.9 percent from three-point range and 86.8 percent from the foul line.
Herro received 96 first-place votes from a
panel of 100 global sportswriters and broadcasters. He beat out the runner-up
in All-Star forward/center of the Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Love, who received
three first-place votes and Phoenix Suns’ reserve Cam Johnson, who received the
other first-place vote.
To put into context the prominent level of
play the No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has played this season, had
32 out of his 37 games scoring 20-plus points off the bench, which included
eight games scoring 30-plus (all off the bench), which were tied for the third
most since 1970-71 season. Also, his 20 25-point games were tied for fourth
most.
Last season, Herro averaged as a starter
mostly 15.1 points and five boards on 43.9 percent from the field on 12.9 shot
attempts but just 3.3 free throw attempts. But averaged just 9.3 points on 31.6
percent from the floor as well as from three-point range in the Heat’s First-Round
four-game exit versus the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Herro took that disappointing postseason
performance and registered the fourth highest scoring average by a Sixth Man of
the Year winner in NBA history.
The 2019-20 Al-Rookie Second-Team
selection 1,162 total points off the bench set a Heat single-season record helping
them earn the top spot in the East at 53-29.
The Heat are in a tight series in the
Eastern Conference Semifinals that is locked 2-2 entering Game 5 of the series
of the 2022 Playoff, presented by Google Pixel that takes place this Tuesday
night on TNT.
Highest Points Per Game Kia Sixth Man of
the Year Recipient In NBA History
Season Scoring
Average Team
Ricky Pierce 1989-90 23.0 Bucks
Lou Williams (ATL) 2017-18
22.6 Clippers
Eddie Johnson 1988-89 21.5 Suns
Tyler Herro 2021-22 20.7 Heat
Herro, also became the fifth player in NBA
history to average at least 20 points off the bench (playing minimum of 50 games
as a reserve) since starts began being tracked in the 1970-71 season, joining
Thurl Bailey (1987-88), Eddie Johnson (1988-89), Ricky Pierce (1989-90, 1990-91),
and Lou Williams (2017-18, and 2018-19).
The third-year pro received the word about
winning Kia Sixth Man of the Year as well as the special edition 75th NBA
Anniversary commemorative solid crystal basketball, that featured the NBA 75
logo 3D laser etched that is suspended within its center at the Heat’s practice
facility surrounded by his teammates, head coach Erik Spoelstra and the entire
Heat coaching staff who greeted him with cheers and smiles chanting, “6!6!6!6!”
“In today’s NBA, honestly you can be a
star off the bench. You can be a star in whatever role if you see the big
picture. If the team wins,” veteran and team captain and three-time champion in
his 18-year career with the Heat Udonis Haslem said about Herro before giving
him the award.
“To have a young player trust in what I say
and trust in what we say, that’s big because they all have their own vision.
Also being a father. Managing being a father. Being an NBA player. Sixth Man of
the Year and giving us what we ask from you, that’s a lot. That’s big. Took a
lot of steps this year. It’s bigger than Sixth Man of the Year for you bro.
Took a lot of steps just being a man. Being a professional So, I’m proud of
you.”
At age 22, Herro became one of the
youngest players to win Sixth Man of the Year in NBA history with former Chicago
Bull reserve Ben Gordon being the youngest to win that honor at age 21 back in
the 2004-05 season.
When asked by the “Inside the NBA” of
Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal about what it
meant to receive Sixth Man of the Year as well as those kind sentiments from Haslem,
who when he made his NBA debut when Herro was three years old, Herro said, “it
meant everything” to receive the award and the kind words.
“Just to get the award from, you know O.G.
[original gangster] and then the rest of my teammates, this couldn’t have
happened without them,” Herro, who had 25 points and seven assists on 9/17
shooting, including 4/6 from three-point range in helping the Heat to a 106-92
win in Game 1 of East Semis versus Philadelphia 76ers last Monday night on TNT said.
“They allowed me to be myself. Coming off
the bench, my teammates, coaches. This wouldn’t without them. I couldn’t thank
them enough, especially you know O.G.”
Along with being allowed to be himself,
Herro this season has demonstrated someone who understands the bigger picture. While
he showed in his first two seasons that he should be a starter at one of the
wing positions, his willingness to check his ego at the door and embrace the
role his team wanted him to take and has thrived.
His ability to provide instant offense of
the pine with his ability to strike a match in an instant from the perimeter as
well as make plays for others.
Herro is another example of someone who entered
the Heat’s next man up, best conditioned, nastiest culture that is all about
winning and championships, who embrace taking on tough challenges, which has
led them to winning titles in 2006, 2012, and 2013.
While those title squads were headlined
first by Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade and then by Wade, now
Lakers’ perennial All-Star and four-time Kia MVP LeBron James and future Hall
of Famer Chris Bosh their last two title squads, it was the play of the likes
of Haslem, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and Mario Chalmers that got them to the
NBA’s mountain top.
The Heat hope that Herro is that next role
player that aides the current headliners on the Heat in the aforementioned
Butler, Adebayo, and Lowry in leading them to their four title this season.
“Just realizing where I’m at, you know,”
Herro said when asked by Smith about how he keeps his ego in check as part of
the Heat program. “I’m on the best team in the East as a young guy, you know playing
starter minutes. I take the most shots on the team. My teammates and coaches,
they trust me with the ball and I really couldn’t ask for much more. I’m in a
great position for now and for the future. So, I’m excited for what’s next and
just continue to keep going.”
That determination to get better for Herro,
the oldest of three brothers in his family said when asked by Johnson of who
were his inspirations in terms of NBA players that made being a great Sixth Man
into an art form were three-time Sixth Man of the Year recipients Williams
(2014-15, 2017-18, 2018-19) and Jamal Crawford (2009-10, 2013-14, 2015-16).
Growing up in Greenfield, WI, Herro that
Williams and Crawford “paved” the way for the kind of impact a reserve can have
on the game.
In 2021-22 season, Tyler Herro came off
the bench and had an impact game-in and game-out for the Miami Heat and in
putting together one of the best scoring seasons by a reserve in not just his
team’s history but one of the best in NBA history. He understood the assignment
and showed out on the hardwood and hopes to continue that for the rest of this
postseason in the Heat’s march to championship No. 4.
Information, statistics, and quotations
are courtesy of 5/3/2022 6:30 p.m. TNT “NBA Tip-Off,” presented by Carmax With
Ernie Johnson, Kenney Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; 5/3/2022 www.nba.com story, “Heat’s Tyler Herro Wins
2021-22 Kia Sixth Man of the Year;” 5/3/2022 2 a.m. ESPN’s “Sportscenter” With
Zubin Mehenti and John Anderson; 5/3/2022 7:30 p.m. “Philadelphia 76ers versus
Miami Heat” Game 1 Eastern Conference Semifinals of 2022 NBA Playoffs, presented
by Google Pixel on TNT, presented by Clorox With Spero Dedes, Grant Hill, and
Chris Haynes; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/4395725/tyler-herro;
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/4395725/type/nba/seasontype/3;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Herro;
and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Sixth_Man_of_the_Year_Award.
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