Heat star Jimmy Butler showed some respect for rookie teammate Tyler Herro, whose incredible Game 4 brought Miami within one game of the NBA Finals.
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler gave props to teammate Tyler Herro for his outstanding Game 4 performance during practice on Thursday, wearing the rookie’s high school jersey.
With the 20-year-old dropping 37 points in Miami’s victory and bringing the team within a game of an NBA Finals berth, it isn’t hard to see why Butler felt the need to show him some love.
While many have tried to call Butler a bad teammate in the past, the edge that he has given the Heat throughout a difficult 2020 season is impossible to ignore. His Miami teammates seem to love playing with him and he is fully committed to winning, demanding the best from himself and those around him.
Everyone in Miami is loving Tyler Herro these days
Herro certainly answered the call during Game 4, knocking down five three-pointers and finishing 14-of-21 from the field. On a night when sharpshooters like Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson struggled, Herro provided the spark that the Heat needed to push Boston to the brink.
Another performance like that from Herro would go a long way in bringing Miami to its first NBA Finals since 2014, an unexpected development in a highly unusual season. However, regardless of how the rest of the playoffs go for the rookie, the Heat appear to have found another gem late in the lottery.
Even without spending premium picks, the Heat have built a competitive roster. After selecting Bam Adebayo No. 14 overall in 2017, Miami took Herro one pick earlier last year. The latter appears positioned to become a sharpshooter in the mold of J.J. Redick and Kyle Korver, but also have the other tools to become a great all-around player.
At the very least, Butler appears to be all-in on the Herro hype train, and for good reason. In the near future, fans may look back on Game 4 as the rookie’s coming-out party, a development that could make Miami an even more dangerous team than it already is.