By Larry Rupp
Drafting capable scorers that can come off the bench and contribute at any given time is one of the most underrated strategies of building an NBA roster. Championship teams regularly have impactful sharpshooters and veteran playmakers waiting in the wings. Third-year pro Tyler Herro finds himself taking on that role for the Miami Heat and he is certainly making the most of it.
Herro has been rising up the rankings when it comes to who will be named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. In fact, the former Kentucky standout now leads all candidates with odds set at +110, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. No other player has odds set at less than +1200, which makes Herro a very heavy favorite in the eyes of Vegas.
Tyler Herro built different
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 7, 2021
Team high 29 with 14 in the 4th 🔥 pic.twitter.com/n8ad3vacRq
This shouldn’t come as a major shock given Herro’s stellar play under coach Erik Spoelstra. He is averaging a career-high mark in points, rebounds and assists per game despite a majority of his playing time coming with the second unit. Herro has shown no mercy when it comes to pulling up from the outside and it has worked out so far.
The 21-year-old is shooting above the NBA average from the field as well as from beyond 3-point range. A lot of that has to do with the overall scheme in Miami. The Heat’s offense is centered around drive-and-kick plays, and it has consistently led to open shots for Herro.
Herro is also averaging more than 30 minutes per contest and certainly helps his chances of taking home the hardware here. It allows the long-range specialist to fill up the stat sheet in a variety of ways. His usage rate greatly outweighs that of his sophomore season and that is due to the loss of players like Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn. Simply put, Herro has to be trusted to take on a bigger role.
This isn’t the first time Herro has gained some national attention. At Kentucky, he shined under coach John Calipari during his sole college season and ended his Wildcat career averaging 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Herro has since grinded meticulously to improve his shot mechanics, and it has done wonders for his game.
TYLER HERRO IS HOT AGAIN🔥
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) November 11, 2021
He has 15 at the half pic.twitter.com/28rIKoxzl9
The only other player within striking distance of Herro is Washington Wizards big man Montrezl Harrell, and he remains a long shot with odds set at +1200. Harrell has been putting up double-doubles left and right for a Wizards team currently exceeding expectations. The 27-year-old was named the Sixth Man of the Year back in 2020 as well.
Bettors looking to get in on the action can feel safe about placing a wager on Herro. His value is only going to drop given he continues his hot streak as a reliable scorer on a team truly capable of winning the Eastern Conference. After all, 26 of the last 27 winners of this award have come from playoff teams.
Picture Credit: Flickr