RexBoyWonder wrote:Spoiler:
Awesome intelligent post.
Going by my eye test after watching/analyzing BB for a long ass time - Herro is now squeezing 98% of his natural tools/talent level.
I really think it's unfair and unrealistic to expect another major leap at this point. I just hope he can sustain his last regular season.
He never had elite vision/BB IQ. He improved his shot selection and passing, but he's not a natural floor general like the Halliburton's of the world. He's weaker and slower then pretty much every other lead guard in the league. He can't change that.
I give him a lot of credit for reaching the level he already have despite his weaknesses. But the real answer to out offense is NOT trying to squeeze an extra 2% production from Herro, the real answer is to move him to be the second option behind a guy that is more suited to be the main creator. Herro can still be a great scorer, but asking him to also be the main engine of your offense is a recipe for disappointment.
That's why we should try to keep him, but not max him. He's a very good offensive player with legit limitations and thus should make 30Mil and not 50 Mil per.
Thanks, appreciate your input but I see it a bit differently, especially on Herro’s development curve.
Basketball IQ isn’t fixed it grows with reps, film, and experience. In fact, it’s probably the easiest area to improve through focused effort and Herro has already shown real progress, particularly with his shot selection and improved decision making.
He’s not a natural manipulator with elite vision like Luka, Hali, or Trae. Elite vision, the kind that allows players to anticipate rotations and throw skip passes before the help even commits is harder to learn. It’s more instinctual and tied to processing speed. Herro won’t reach those levels and that’s fine, because not every successful lead guard needs to.
Where Herro can compensate is with his elite shooting. He’s a true three level scorer who already demands constant defensive attention and is starting to face blitzes and face guarding as a result. That scoring gravity is a form of creation in itself. He may never be a pass first savant, but he can shape defenses with his scoring threat the same way Brunson does, forcing help, then making simple, effective reads. Brunson doesn’t have elite vision either, but his footwork, balance, and scoring pressure make him a legitimate offensive hub. Herro can follow a similar path.
Physically, no, Herro isn’t explosive and doesn’t have elite burst and I agree he’s near his ceiling in that regard. But the same is true for Luka, Haliburton, Trae, and Brunson. What separates those players is their ability to read the floor, control tempo, and win with craft, areas where Herro has steadily made progress.
He needs to keep sharpening his decision making out of PnRs, improve his ability to manipulate defenders with pacing and hesitation and consistently recognize when to collapse the defense versus when to keep the ball moving. Leaning fully into being a score first initiator, one who forces help with his shooting gravity and then capitalizes with quick, simple reads, this is a realistic and attainable path to high level offensive impact for him.
I’d argue that pushing Herro into a secondary role is the real trap. History shows that if your guard can’t defend at a high level, they need to be a primary offensive engine, not a connector behind someone else. A non defensive guard who isn’t leading your offense becomes a ceiling capper. If you’re going to commit to Herro, you need to go all-in and if he can’t make the leap, then you have to move on. Hedging in the middle isn't the right path in my opinion.
