Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in Denver. The Nuggets won 123-106. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP
As the rumors swirl ahead of a possible Miami Heat offseason makeover, Tyler Herro is hoping to make a stand.
As a stronger presence on the court.
And as a strong advocate of Coach Erik Spoelstra.
Working under Spoelstra this week as a member of USA Basketball’s Select Team during pre-Olympic training in Las Vegas, the former University of Kentucky star guard said he views the experience as a bonding moment.
“I think it’s unique because I’m able to just continue to build a strong relationship with Coach Spo,” Herro said. “I plan on playing with him for a while, and that’s my plan. I hope that happens.
“So I continue to just build a strong relationship with him. I think this experience for both of us is big.”
It is not the only big thing on the mind of the 2019 first-round pick. So is reporting to camp in September at more than the 200 pounds the 6-foot-5 guard was listed at last season.
“I think this summer is a huge summer for me,” he said. “I’m excited. It’s my first real offseason where I’m able to focus on different things that I want to work on. And I think one is definitely to get stronger, with my foundation, whether it’s my legs, and just my upper body, and just being able to come into more of an NBA body and really put some weight on.”
Amid the whirlwind of these past two pandemic-altered seasons, Herro barely had seven weeks between the Heat’s trip to the 2020 NBA Finals in the Disney World quarantine bubble and the start of this past season.
That effectively makes this his first developmental offseason as an NBA player.
Now, with time to get work done.
“Continuing to get better with my decision-making in the pick and roll,” he said of a priority. “To be a lot more efficient, I feel like I could be much more efficient in the mid-range, from the three, and really all around. I’m just excited to put all the time, all the effort in in the summer and continue to get better.”
Spoelstra said this week provides an ultimate canvas.
“No matter who would have been coaching him this week, I think it’s a great confidence boost. It’s a great basketball experience. It’s a great competitive experience for him,” Spoelstra said. “We’re using a similar terminology the main [Olympic] team is using, so it’s different terminology that Tyler was using with us. It’s slightly different speeds. I think this is really important for a young player, to be able to go through that learning process. And particularly if it’s a little bit different, it helps you grow and expand in different ways.
“And then, of course, the competition. Come on, when we do get an opportunity to compete against the main team, there is absolutely nothing you could do during a summer in terms of workouts, player development or open gyms that could surpass the type of experience that only Tyler will get.”
As for his game, Herro said any concerns about his demise are greatly exaggerated.
“Not in any way do I think I’ve regressed at all,” he said of his uneven second season. “I think, obviously, I wasn’t really excited with my performance. But I think I’m not regressing in any way.
“So I’m excited to have a full offseason where I can lock in and really just work on some things that I want to work on and know I need to work on and really just continue to get better and not regress.”
As always, moving ahead with considerable confidence.
“I just want to continue to get to my spots, be a lot more efficient,” he said. “There are obviously a lot of things I can work on. But I think this summer, I’m able to focus on a couple things and really just hone in on those and see the jumps and leaps I can make in the next year.”
