Being picked 13th in the 2019 NBA Draft left Tyler Herro with mixed feelings. One, he was happy to be going to the Miami Heat. Two, he felt he should have been drafted higher.
“I think being drafted 13 definitely motivates me, but I love where I was drafted. I mean, I love the opportunity I was drafted into, the situation. But the 12 guys ahead of me definitely are in the back of my head all the time, and I know every last one that was drafted ahead of me. And I mean, it definitely does fuel me,” Herro said. “But I think just with our team, we have a bunch of guys like that, who were doubted, who were looked over, and I think that’s the chip on our shoulder that we have.
Those doubters left him playing with a chip on his shoulder just like he did at Kentucky for one season after failing to make the McDonald’s All-American team. Just like he did at Kentucky, Herro got better and better as the season progressed and really shined in the NBA playoff bubble.
“Obviously the coaches have trust in me but I think like Coach said, the biggest thing is my teammates from top to bottom trust me. From the oldest guy to the youngest guy and that’s big,” Herro said. “The vets are like that — they really shine light on me ever since I’ve been in Miami.
“(Guard) Jimmy (Butler) has been the biggest influence for me and he just continues to teach me and help me. Without my teammates, I don’t think that would be possible, especially as a rookie.”
John Calipari, Herro’s coach at Kentucky, says not to underestimate one of Herro’s best skills — his work ethic. His 37-point game against Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals got a lot of attention but Calipari results like that come because of the work Herro often does even on his own.
“How much time are you willing to spend? That usually, if it is ridiculous, your ceiling goes up and your ceiling goes up because you’re building your own self-esteem and your own self-confidence,” Calipari said.
“This kid is fearless because of his confidence. I’m not the one who built his confidence. I mean, as a matter of fact, I got after him to defend better, to pass better, that if he wasn’t a fearless, confident player that would have taken away his confidence. It didn’t do anything to this kid. He listened fine. ‘You don’t understand how good I am.’ That’s what I see on the court.”
Herro and the Miami Heat play Los Angeles tonight in Game 6 of the NBA Finals with the Lakers leading 3-2.
