While the Miami Heat and their fans can take solace in the fact that only two teams in the Eastern Conference are above .500, they are surely elated with Tyler Herro at the moment.

By all accounts, Herro is playing the best basketball of his career, with his current averages of 24.9 points (on 50.9/47.9/82.9 shooting splits), 5.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, among other numbers, either close to or above his best single season averages.

It’s a welcome development for Herro, whose solid rookie campaign ended with an NBA Finals appearance, but saw his career plateau in the succeeding seasons in part due to some missed time. So far, he’s played in all of the Heat’s 10 games, and his latest performance against the Detroit Pistons was another sign of his growth in Year Six.

It was a comedy of errors for Miami on the opening day of the Emirates NBA Cup, as they lost on a rare last-second gaffe by Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra that allowed the Pistons to come away with a 123-121 victory. However, Miami would have been embarrassed by the Detroit Pistons 2024 if not for Herro, who knocked down a career-high 10 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 40 points.

Herro has had the greenest of lights and has had so even prior to Jimmy Butler’s right ankle sprain. Butler may miss some time depending on how quickly he recovers, but he’s not getting any younger, so Herro stepping up has been a welcome development. Though he’s pretty much been a regular contributor in previous seasons, there’s a feeling that this campaign has Herro going in a different and better direction.

The 24-year old has always had the capability to take over, but now it feels he can take control at the right moments and without compromising his effeciency. There’s been some movement within the Heat’s roster whether it be in terms of players coming and going or when his teammates’ roles within the roster change and while Herro himself has not really been affected, he’s had to adjust to the changes and judging by his individual performance, things have worked out just fine for him. For Miami, though, it’s a different story.

At 4-6 in the Eastern Conference, there’s no need for the Miami Heat to reach for the panic button for now. Their peers are also facing some bouts of inconsistency and there’s a ton of basketball still to be played.

Tyler Herro himself could also face some struggles in a long NBA season, but how he bounces back from those setbacks could drive the narrative for him and the Heat, hopefully for the better.