Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro just won Sixth Man of the Year at age 22.
Everyone else to win the award before turning 24 – Ben Gordon, James Harden and Roy Tarpley – eventually became a starter.
Herro wants to follow into those footsteps.
Asked whether starting full-time for Miami next season was a priority, Herro said, “Yeah, for sure.”
Starting is more prestigious than coming off the bench. All the NBA’s best players start. Herro is a top-30 player at his position and would be more-recognized as such if starting. That status matters for someone up for a big contract extension.
There are also good reasons stars start. Herro played nearly 33 minutes per game last season – a large load becoming of a player so important important to his team. It’d be easier to spread those minutes over a full 48-minute game rather than cram them into a shorter period that begins several minutes into the first quarter.
That said, Miami has offensive creators in its starting lineup with Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Off the bench, Herro brings better balance to the rotation. A more-limited player overall but a better defender who doesn’t need the ball in his hands, Max Strus is an easier fit with the other starters. Herro adds more value by running the offense with less-capable floormates.
That said, Herro is the better player. For Miami to reach its ceiling, it needs its top players to develop chemistry together. When push comes to shove, they’ll all share the floor. Herro already usually closes close games.
Though it’d accomplish both, starting would do more to boost Herro’s image than his prominence in the Heat’s rotation