BOSTON — The more things have changed for Tyler Herro — from emerging as a starter from 2022 Sixth Man of the Year and then cast into a leading playoff role these past two weeks due to the injuries of others — the more one aspect remains the same for the fifth-year Miami Heat guard: The offseason again will be conjecture season.
So, yes, trade rumors within hours of the Heat being ousted from the first round of the playoffs.
Yes, talk of whether he and the Heat would be better suited by a return to a reserve role.
And, yes, even talk of the potential for more of a run as a leading man, if others are dealt, with Jimmy Butler now part of such speculation.
Tested over five games by the relentless defense of the Boston Celtics and limited over those five games to .385 shooting from the field and .349 shooting on 3-pointers, Herro said he took the experience as part of a playoff learning curve.
“I have to obviously look back on the whole series that just ended,” Herro said. “But I feel like I’m going to be able to take away a lot from how they guarded me for the whole series, the face guards, the double teams, the switches, really crowding the paint and really making it tough on me all the time, not allowing me to kind of see one go through to catch a rhythm and I thought they did a great job.