"This is not a brother that can't make a difference" - Stephen A. Smith says the Heat's future success lies in Tyler Herro's hands

The Miami Heat are at a crossroads right now. After a dismal showing last season that saw them finish eighth in the East and get crushed by the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics, Miami has some big decisions to make to ensure a successful campaign next season. One of the things the Heat must address is the health and performance of young guard Tyler Herro .

The former Sixth Man of the Year has had trouble staying healthy throughout his five-year career. In fact, the most games the 6'5" guard has played in a season is 67, which was back in 2023. Last season, Herro missed 40 games due to knee and foot injuries.

That said, ESPN's renowned commentator Stephen A. Smith shared his comments regarding Herro, saying the Heat are a much better team when he's playing consistently good basketball.

Give Butler some help

Any time the Heat is mentioned in a conversation, Jimmy Butler is a cinch. The former Marquette star has epitomized Heat basketball since he signed there in 2020. His no-nonsense approach to basketball aligns well with the franchise's culture, and Butler has been a major reason behind the team's success.

But as good as he is, Jimmy can't do it alone. The Heat need their other players to step up and contribute consistently so that they can truly compete at the highest level. And that's where Herro comes in.

Tyler provides a much-needed scoring punch from the guard position when healthy and playing well. He can easily create his own shot and knock down threes, taking some pressure off of Butler and allowing him to preserve his body and energy for the game's more crucial moments.

"Let me be very, very clear. Jimmy Butler is a winner; he's a warrior. But he ain't no young spring chicken in basketball parlance. We wouldn't be talking about what more Jimmy Butler needs to do or what more the Miami Heat needs if Tyler Herro brought his A-game every night," Stephen A. emphasized .

The former Kentucky Wildcat is a bona fide bucket-getter and playmaker who has averaged 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game over the last three seasons. In the same breath, Herro has only played 175 of a possible 246 regular season games in that span.

"We wouldn't be doing that because this is not a brother that can't play. This is a brother that can play. This is not a brother that can't make a difference. This is a brother that can. The handle, the shot-making ability, the heart, the whole bit—yo, you can make a difference," Smith stressed.

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Starter or sixth man?

Former South Beach ace and current team executive Udonis Haslem stirred up the hornet's nest in May when he publicly suggested Herro return to playing off the bench rather than starting. Speaking on ESPN, UD explained that the Heat may play much better when Duncan Robinson starts.

"That's taking nothing away from what Tyler does as a basketball player. But for our chemistry, we are better when we got Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup, making plays, being that trigger for us and spraying and creating for other guys," UD said back in May. "Tyler can come off in that second group, doesn't have to worry about getting other guys involved. He can just play basketball, score, and be who he is."

However, Heat president Pat Riley took exception to Haslem's comments, saying he should have kept his opinions to himself. However, Stephen said he understood where the former Florida star was coming from when making that recommendation.

"So, knowing that you can make that difference, but people have legitimate evidence to point to that shows you didn't do that on a continuous basis, I understand his sensitivity to it coming out of your mouth. I get that part. But what about the part OG told me? Because OG loves me. OG wants the best for me, and he wants the best for the Heat," Stephen A. opined.

The Heat remain a legitimate contender in the East. With Jimmy Buckets, Terry Rozier, and Bam Adebayo still on the roster, Miami will be a force to be reckoned with. However, their chances of making a deep postseason run depend on Herro's development and consistency. If he can showcase his true potential, the Heat could be primed for another Finals appearance.

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