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USA Today
One of the reasons why the Kentucky Wildcats were as dangerous as they were at the end of the season was the emergence of Tyler Herro. After struggling significantly with his shot in non-conference play, the freshman came alive in the 2019 calendar year. Herro’s 14.0 PPG ranked second in a balanced offense, but his perimeter shooting saw a dramatic improvement in SEC play as he was knocking down 42.1% of his attempts per game.
There’s always a small collection of prospects who witness their respective stocks soar just months before the draft, and all signs point to Herro being a member of that group. Many mock drafts have him being selected in the first round, ranging anywhere from late lottery to the bottom half. He has not yet declared for the draft nor hired an agent, so there’s always the possibility he returns to Lexington. However, a relatively weaker draft may guarantee Herro a top-30 selection in June. So with that being said, let’s look at the three best fits for the freshman shooting guard.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
This is set to be a busy offseason for the Sixers as Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, JJ Redick, and others will hit the free agent market. Regardless, if they were to bring those three back, Philly is still in need of perimeter shooting. Although there isn’t a dire need of substantial contribution right away, Herro offers a solid weapon off the bench with an improving offensive arsenal. Not only is he able to light it up from behind-the-arc, but he can move effectively in the open court and get to the rim with his six-foot-five frame.
Defensively, he is somewhat overlooked. In the last half of the collegiate season, Herro showed he is more than capable of playing solid on-ball defense (see Fletcher Magee going 0-12 from deep against the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament round of 32). Overall, he possesses the physical tools to be one of the league’s quality shooters. Not to mention, he brings a certain swagger and poise to the court, matching that of Philadelphia’s.
2. Detroit Pistons
With the quality season that Blake Griffin has put together, the push to maximize his prime by the Pistons has become as urgent as ever. Detroit has shown the makings of a playoff team, but they are not a true contender in the slightest. One of their biggest flaws is perimeter shooting; the Pistons rank in the bottom 10 in the league in terms of three-point shooting percentage. It is unknown what the roles of Luke Kennard and Glenn Robinson III are moving forward, but there is one thing for certain: the franchise needs help.
Insert Tyler Herro. His perimeter shooting provides an immediate scoring option and provides much-needed floor spacing for Griffin and Andre Drummond. Herro shows the liking of a two-way shooting guard and can impact a game in many ways, but Motor City needs an identity revival. The Bad Boys in the 80s/90s and the star teams in the early 2000s both had a swagger and toughness about them that was somewhat unmatched in some aspects; Herro offers an improvement on both fronts and could lead the push for organizational re-birth.
1. Orlando Magic
Over the past couple years, the Magic have made an effort to replenish their lackluster frontcourt; Mo Bamba, Jonathan Isaac, and Aaron Gordon have granted Orlando with a surplus of length and athleticism. It is unknown whether or not the organization will re-sign Nikola Vucevic, or if he even wants to return. Regardless, the Magic are not in need of big men. The acquisition of Markelle Fultz somewhat addresses their backcourt needs, but there is not a lack of concern when it comes to Fultz and his health.
Even with Evan Fournier under contract until next season at least, Orlando needs to add a shooting guard and/or wing. Herro would see immediate minutes in the backcourt because he addresses one of the team’s biggest problems: perimeter shooting. Not to mention, his on-ball defensive capabilities make a potential scary defense ever scarier. Orlando has had a much better season than expected as they were not thought of to be in serious playoff contention, but the effort is now to continue this upward trend and one of the main ways to do that is to replenish the backcourt.