‘Perennial All-Star’ and eventual ‘superstar’? NBA world reacts to Tyler Herro’s evolution

Twenty notes on Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro, including reaction from around the world to his remarkable Game 4:

▪ ESPN analyst and former NBA guard Tim Legler: “I think this guy has All-Star capabilities,” someone who sets up to be “a perennial All-Star down the road. He’s got that rare quality for a young player where everything in front of him, all the action, slows down for him. A lot of players might take two or three years to develop like Tyler Herro has in this series.”

▪ TNT analyst, Heat legend and future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade: “What I love about what Herro Ball is doing... We all know this isn’t just a hot game. This is how he plays the game of basketball.”

▪ ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith: “I’m glad Tyler Herro has put everyone on notice about what this brother is and what he brings to the table. He moves without the basketball. He cuts to the basket. He can finish at the basket. He can pull up midrange. And he clearly can pull up long range. Everything wasn’t a jump shot. Let’s keep that in mind.”

▪ New ESPN analyst and future Hall of Famer Vince Carter: “He was playing like the superstar he will be. Some of his passes in the paint, left hand, through traffic, allowing guys to have open jump shots, is amazing. He’s earned the right to be a go-to guy. There was no hesitation in any move.”

▪ NBA TV analyst and former Heat standout Caron Butler: “So proud of the fellow cheesehead from my home state of Wisconsin. Just watching him grow up over the years and now he’s performing on the biggest stage, knocking down shots, not afraid of the moment and making a name for himself and creating his legacy.”

▪ NBA TV analyst and Hall of Famer Kevin McHale: “The thing that gets me about the kid is he is doing this like he’s in the park. He gets shots all over the place. When you’re shooting one-legged runners, you’re feeling good about it. He has so many different things he can do in his game. He’s constantly on the move.”

▪ Per Stathead, Herro and Kobe Bryant are the only players in NBA history to produce at least 37 points, six rebounds and five threes — while shooting at least 66 percent — in a conference finals game.

▪ Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year: “Tyler was the best player on the floor. This rookie class was deep.”

▪ ESPN college basketball/NBA summer league analyst Fran Fraschilla, the former St. John’s coach: “Let’s get real. You think Tyler Herro would be doing this on every team who could have drafted him before the Heat? Think of the mentorship of the older players and the sweat equity of this team’s culture. How much do you think he improved during the four-month hiatus?”

▪ Heat guard Goran Dragic told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt that: “I’m just blown away [by Herro]. This kid is unbelievable. He’s an unbelievable talent. It’s going to be scary down the road when he develops a little bit more. He’s going to be an awesome player. The first day when I saw him in practice, he was doing all that stuff. He had great handles, a floater, midrange, three-pointer, just an unbelievable shooter.”

▪ Herro has been an equal-opportunity tormentor of the Celtics.

Herro — who is averaging 20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.3 rebounds in this series while shooting 50.8 percent — has victimized all of the Celtics’ top players.

He is 8 for 13 (and 4 for 9 on threes) when guarded by Jayson Tatum, 4 for 7 when Jaylen Brown is defending him, 8 for 15 (including 3 for 9 on threes) when Kemba Walker is on him, 5 for 8 when elite defender Marcus Smart is on him and 2 for 5 when Gordon Hayward is defending him.

▪ ESPN analyst and former NBA forward Richard Jefferson: “If Tyler Herro scored 27, they don’t win this game. This is next-level [stuff]. He does it in such a smooth, easy way. He’s not even sweating. That’s what makes it so unique.”

▪ Per Fanatics, Herro — since Game 4 — now has the top-selling NBA jersey for the league’s online stores.

▪ Herro’s per-36 minute averages through his first 13 playoff games: 17.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists.

Wade’s per-36 through his first 13 playoff games: 16.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists.

And Herro’s 214 points are the fifth-most by any rookie in a single playoffs this century, behind Tatum (351), Donovan Mitchell (268), Wade (234) and Manu Ginobili (226). Herro should rise to at least second on that list if the Heat makes the NBA Finals.

▪ Per StatMuse’s Justin Kubatko, only Wilt Chamberlain — among rookies — scored more points against the Celtics in a playoff game than Herro. Herro is the second-youngest player to score 35 or more in a playoff game, behind Derrick Rose.

▪ According to Second Spectrum, Herro shot 80 percent (8 for 10) when creating his own shot, which is tied for the highest such field-goal percentage by any player in a game this postseason.

▪ NBC’s A. Sherrod Blakely reported that during the draft last year, the Celtics had interest in taking Herro at No. 14 if he had not been taken 13th.

“The Celtics were very much enamored with the 20-year-old leading up to last June’s draft,” Blakely wrote.

Boston settled for Indiana wing Romeo Langford at No. 14.

▪ Per StatHead, Herro has joined a select group of players to average 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the playoffs before turning 21. The others: Magic Johnson, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Bradley Beal and Luka Doncic.

▪ Fox’s Chris Broussard: “We may be watching the emergence of a young star. It was the type of performance that makes me wonder is this going to be a star? Not just a very good player for 10, 11 years. But is he going to be a star? This is coming off a 22-point Game 3.”

▪ ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins said Herro is a “6-4 version of Mike Miller...if you haven’t seen Mike Miller play go YouTube some of his highlights when he was with Memphis and Orlando! Tyler Herro is REALLY good at the game of basketball.”

ADEBAYO UPDATE

Bam Adebayo, who re-aggravated an arm injury late in Game 4, “will be ready to go” for Game 5, Erik Spoelstra said Thursday.

Here’s what Erik Spoelstra and Brad Stevens said in their media briefings on Thursday.

Here’s my Thursday Miami Dolphins piece on their new acquisitions and whose contracts allow them to be cut without consequence.