Tag Archive for: Russell Westbrook

Miami Heat fans need a Herro… and a Xanax

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Prefacing this by saying we love you all.

(We need you, anyway.)

But Miami Heat fans can be a little neurotic at times.

Maybe it was the insanity of the Big 3 years, which raised expectations to an unreasonable level. But lately, it seems like Heat fans are always on edge, and always extreme.

The latest example is the Tyler Herro situation.

When Pat Riley and the Heat made the Herro pick a couple of weeks ago, the majority of Heat fans freaked out. The entire crew of Miami Heat Beat threatened to quit. The poll I posted on @5ReasonsSports ran 70-30 or more against the selection. You all were comparing Herro to Jimmer Fredette and creating new “washed” memes for Riley.

You weren’t very nice.

And now, after a few impressive summer league games — and yes, they’ve been impressive — now I’m being bombarded with questions about why the Heat haven’t signed Herro yet.

Enough that I felt compelled, from out here in Las Vegas, to address it.

Of course, this is why most of you are doing it.

If Herro remains unsigned, he can be traded without waiting out the 30-day window.

Now, I understand the differing opinions about Westbrook. For me, everything should be on the table for Westbrook other than Bam Adebayo, who was out here watching from the Heat bench yesterday — and then wasn’t allowed back in the building right away by security because he wasn’t wearing a name badge (I’m serious; he’s 7-feet tall; and he was polite, of course). I like Justise Winslow a lot, and I’m intrigued by Herro, but Adebayo is the unique piece on the Heat roster, a big who fits the modern game perfectly and is also a perfect Heat culture fit.

But even if you’re against the Westbrook deal under most circumstances (and I get the reasons for that too), let’s have some perspective. I watched Herro struggle to shoot early against a Chinese team that wouldn’t get much run at the local JCC. I’m enamored by his shooting form (high and quick), and I’ve been impressed by his aggressiveness, especially in transition. He appears to be more than a shooter.

Heat officials have told me that Herro is further along than they expected. They’re telling me, not the league, so I don’t think they’re just trying to pump his value. They like him.

But come on.

This is summer league we’re talking about.

And this is an All-Star we’re talking about, in Westbrook.

Let’s let it play out.

And stop freaking out.