What Heat guard Tyler Herro has done that no other NBA rookie had done this century
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro’s clutch shooting is not only impressive, but it’s also historic by NBA rookie standards in postseason.
With four “clutch” three-pointers so far in eight playoff games, Herro already has hit more clutch threes than any rookie in any postseason this century.
Since the NBA started keeping track of “clutch” time performance in 1997, only Matt Maloney in 1997 hit as many clutch threes as Herro has during a single postseason, among rookies.
The NBA defines clutch as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter - or any of overtime - with a margin of five points or fewer.
Herro has made four of seven three-point attempts under those clutch circumstances during these playoffs, after hitting on 9 of 19 of those clutch three-point attempts in the regular season (47.4 percent), which was the fifth-best percentage in the league for all players with a minimum of eight clutch threes.
Since the turn of the century, the most clutch threes made by any rookie in a single postseason had been three by the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili in 2003. Herro already has eclipsed that.
For perspective, over the previous six NBA postseasons, rookies accounted for a total of five clutch playoff threes - one each by Troy Daniels, Bogan Bogdanovic, OG Abunoby, Royce O’Neal and Landry Shamet.
“His confidence is special for sure,” Heat wing Duncan Robinson said. “The area he has grown a lot is feel. The game has really slowed down for him. A couple passes he’s made in this [postseason] have been really, really impressive. He’s grown so much throughout this year and the best is yet to come for him.”
Among all players with more than two three-pointers, only Denver’s Jamal Murray (7 for 9 entering Monday night’s game) and Dallas’ Luka Doncic (3 for 5) hit clutch threes at a higher percentage than Herro in these playoffs.
Herro hit a three with 58.6 seconds remaining in regulation of Game 4 on Sunday to give Miami a one-point lead. The 20-year-old then made a three with 30.1 seconds to play in overtime to cut the Heat’s deficit to one, and he sank his third three of the game with 3.4 seconds remaining in overtime to again cut the Bucks’ lead to one.
Erik Spoestra, whose team enters Tuesday’s Game 5 against Milwaukee with a 3-1 lead in the series, said on Monday that two of the threes came on play calls by the coach and another resulted from a defensive read.
“His game continues to grow and we’re going to continue to ask more of him from both sides of the floor as this series goes on,” Spoelstra said.
If the Heat advances to the Eastern Conference Finals and plays more close games, Herro has a chance to score the most clutch points of any rookie in a single postseason since the NBA started keeping track in 1997.
His 12 clutch points in 17 minutes through eight games already are seventh-most by a rookie in a single postseason over those past 24 years, behind Tim Duncan (23 in 1998), Jayson Tatum (21 in 2018), Derrick Rose (20 in 2009), Ginobili (16 in 2003), Harrison Barnes (15 in 2013) and Dwyane Wade (13 in 2004).
“What they’ve been able to do here is play to his strengths,” Heat swingman Andre Iguodala said. “He’s been playing with that confidence all year. He kind of ooozes that.”
Consider some of Herro’s other achievements overall in these playoffs (not in clutch situations specifically):
▪ Among players who have made at least 10 threes, Herro entered Monday ranked second among rookies in three-point shooting percentage in these playoffs, at 39.6 percent (19 for 48). That’s behind only OKC’s Darius Bazley, who finished at 50 percent (11 for 22).
▪ Herro’s 118 points are the most of any rookie in the bubble this postseason. Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. was second with 100 entering the Nuggets’ Western Conference semifinal game against the Clippers on Monday night.
▪ The Heat has outscored teams by 25 points with Herro on the court. That’s third-best among rookies in postseason, behind only Toronto’s Terence Davis (plus 42) and Utah’s Juwan Morgan (plus 36).
▪ Herro’s 14.8 scoring average is most among rookies in these playoffs.
One injury note: Though it didn’t stop any of them from concluding Game 4, the Heat listed Herro (hip bruise), Kelly Olynyk (knee bruise) and Jae Crowder (sprained ankle) as questionable for Game 5. The Bucks listed Giannis Antetokounmpo as questionable with the sprained ankle that sidelined him in the second half of Game 4.
THIS AND THAT
▪ After a slow start to the series, Duncan Robinson finally broke free in Game 4, with 20 points and 6 three-pointers in 12 attempts.
“He has to be even more persistent and relentless looking for weaknesses in the defense,” Spoelstra said, adding he needs to run “every single route with that level of persistence and energy. He did that [Sunday] and finally broke free.”
He said Robinson typically can get open six or seven times if he runs “10 routes” against an opponent, but it might be only two or three times against the Bucks’ excellent defense.
▪ The’s NBA day-after-game officiating report for the final two minutes said Jimmy Butler should have received two free throws with 24.2 seconds left, with the Heat leading 107-106 in the fourth quarter of Game 4. Instead the Bucks tied it and won in overtime. The NBA said on that play, “George Hill moves laterally into Butler’s shoulder and initiates contact that affects his shot attempt.”
▪ Butler has gone from shooting 24.4 percent on threes in the regular season (29 for 119) to 47.1 percent in the playoffs (8 for 17).
According to Elias, the last player to increase their three-point percentage by as much as Butler from the regular season to playoffs (minimum 100 attempts in regular season and 15 attempts in playoffs) was Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton in 2017-18, when he shot 35.9 percent in the regular season and 61 percent in the playoffs.
▪ Per Heat.com’s Cooper Moorhead, Bam Adebayo in Game 4 became the eighth player in NBA playoff history to produce at least 26 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists in a playoff game before turning 24. The others: Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley (twice), Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Baron Davis and Doncic.
FYI: Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he holds out hope Giannis Antetokounmpo can play in Game 5 and he hasn’t yet been ruled out. Colleague David Wilson has more on that and other Heat things here.
This story was originally published September 7, 2020 at 1:57 PM.
