2019 NBA Draft Profile: Tyler Herro

The Trail Blazers’ memorable postseason run might be over, but the the 2019 NBA Draft is right around the corner. Portland’s President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey currently has the No. 25 pick in the draft at his disposal and he will look to supplement the Blazers’ roster with a talented prospect in the latter stages of the first round. Today we look at Tyler Herro of the Kentucky Wildcats.

Tyler Herro

• Height: 6’5”
• Weight: 195
• Wingspan: 6’4.5”
• Shooting hand: Right
• Position: SG
• Age: 19
• Projected Draft Range: 15-23

2018-2019 Statistics

• PTS: 14.0 | Per 40: 17.2
• REB: 4.5 | Per 40: 5.5
• AST: 2.5 | Per 40: 3.0
• STL: 1.1 | Per 40: 1.3
• BLK: 0.3 | Per 40: 0.4
• FG%: 46.2
• 3P%: 35.5
• FT%: 93.5

Strengths

Tyler Herro is the classic three-point shooter that announcers love to say “is not a one-trick pony” when he scores within the arc or makes a defensive play. It’s true—Herro can do more than just shoot. He spent a lot of time driving to the basket and attempting midrange attempts. His pull-up and step-back jumpers, along with a high release on layups, allow him to hunt for shots in the locations he is most comfortable with. His smooth shooting extends everywhere—he finished the season at 93.5% from the line, best in school history. But don’t discredit his pedestrian 35.5 percent three-point shooting, his form and ability to niftily utilize screens project him as a solid catch-and-shoot operator.

Referring to Herro, Kentucky head coach John Calipari said, “His work ethic is unbelievable. …He has the confidence, but it’s not fake.” These sorts of intangibles generally bode well for a player’s development at the NBA level. Herro also has defensive upside thanks to his aggressiveness when matched up against other guards or wings.

Weaknesses

Herro’s 35.5 percent conversion rate from deep partially stemmed from an inability to square his feet on catch-and-shoot looks after navigating screens. To become a serviceable quick-release outside shooter, he cannot rush looks and instead rely on the screen to create enough separation from his defender. With the ball in his hands, Herro suffers from tunnel vision on drives. Despite displaying considerable speed off the ball on offense, he also isn’t noticeably explosive off the dribble to create space for consistently quality looks at the rim. He is susceptible to turnovers due to both errant ball handling and poor passing. Herro frequently turned the ball over on entry passes to teammates in the post, a routine pass expected from guards.

2018-2019 Season

Herro finished as Kentucky’s second leading scorer at 14 points per game and led the roster in three-pointers made. They won all 19 games he eclipsed 15 points and went 11-7 in games in which he didn’t—an indicator of his importance to the team’s offensive success. More importantly, he played a major role on both ends of the floor in the Wildcats’ Elite 8 run in the NCAA Tournament, including locking down Fletcher Magee in the second round and hitting a game-winning triple with 25 seconds left against Houston in the Sweet 16. His tournament heroics earned him NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team honors.

Overall Assessment

Despite his 3-and-D potential entering the draft, Herro didn’t wow the nation with his mediocre three-point shooting percentage. His smooth transfer from catching a pass to launching a set three, in addition to his historic 93.5% from the free throw line, suggest that he can develop into an elite outside shooter in the NBA, though. He has the intangibles to make this jump, especially considering his most paramount shortcomings are correctible (tunnel vision and turnover susceptibility). Herro’s potential as a catch-and-shoot specialist will determine where he gets drafted and how quickly he cracks a rotation.

Overall Fit

Kentucky frequently used Herro off the ball, running him out of the dunkers spot and around several screens to reach the perimeter without a defender. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum’s shooting gravity would help vacate the arc for Herro to fire away, but at 6’5”, Herro creates a dangerously small lineup with Lillard and McCollum as the guards. Alongside just one of them, defenders could commit to stopping the young guard from getting open. His gritty and aggressive defense make him a solid defensive option against other guards, but it is tough to imagine him succeeding against NBA-level forwards. If the Blazers choose to address its floor spacing in the draft, taller wing options fit the roster better than Herro. Not to mention, he’s supposedly impressing every team working him out and therefore likely won’t be available at No. 25.

Do you want to see Herro in a Blazers jersey next season? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!