Miami Heat as Lob City east with a Herro and Jones Jr. collaboration

In the Miami Heat 108-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Tyler Herro had quite the game, highlighted by this nifty pass to Derrick Jones Jr.

What’s the air like up there?

The lob wasn’t as easy as it looked, but Herro displayed his great hand-eye coordination on that dime to make it seem that way. Known for his sweet shooting stroke, that gift also translates into long-range assists when opportunities arise. He may even be next on Miami’s triple double list following Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

Herro’s stat line of 9 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists for 25 minutes gives 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists per 36 minutes. As a 6’5” guard with a quick bounce to his step, he has the tools to grab rebounds on the defensive end. The height to see over shorter defenders, along with a good handle produces a quick-release pass to spot open looks before defenses can react in time.

Before his first season as an NBA professional the consensus on his potential was as a volume shooter, but focusing on individual scoring numbers caused Herro to over-dribble hunting for a basket. Going from trying for 25 points a game to 15-10-10 triple double brings much more value to the team and more efficient numbers.

The Heat as a team displayed a quality of well-rounded play in the Sixers game. All eight players had at least 3 rebounds each and 4 of them notched 5 or more assists. That’s great news for finishers such as Jones Jr., Duncan Robinson, Meyers Leonard who saw action, as well as Chris Silva if he plays.

Adding Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow and James Johnson to the mix gives the Heat several players who can potentially rack up triple-doubles. The willingness to move without the ball separates this team from previous editions. Robinson’s place as a starter, in part, came from his smart cuts and motion offense. Jimmy Butler sets the tone of a multi-faceted approach to the game. Adebayo picked up on that aspect, and perhaps Herro could join the triple-double movement.