First NBA All-Star voting returns shouldn’t mean much for Tyler Herro’s case

It shouldn’t be up for debate anymore -- Tyler Herro has performed like an NBA All-Star this season. There is a real argument that Herro is amongst the top guards throughout the entire league, yet the first fan voting returns showed otherwise. 

The rising Miami Heat star has put together the greatest campaign of his career and continues to showcase his talents on a nightly basis. Heading into this 2024-25 campaign, Herro has adjusted his shot diet to focus more on rim attacks and outside shooting. The result has led to elite efficiency, as the six-year guard has seen his overall statistics rise to a career-high across the board. 

But it is more than just the offense, it is all the other intangibles. Herro’s IQ, higher commitment to defense and patience for the game is higher than it has ever been. He has appeared to be a stronger player physically, which has helped his two-way abilities and finishes in the paint through contact.

Tyler Herro is averaging 24.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists on 48% shooting and 41% from 3-point range.

He has a true shooting percentage of 62.5%, which is also good for a career-high. The most impressive part of his efficiency numbers has come on the volume, as he has put up nearly 10 attempts from long range per game. When it comes to stepping up in the clutch, his shooting has even been there when it's mattered the most for Miami.

With all this being said, the results of the first voting return had Herro slotted as the ninth most votes among qualified guards in the Eastern Conference. He totaled 125,251 total votes, behind some questionable names like Jordan Poole, Tyrese Maxey and Cade Cunningham. Losing records and availability should have much more of an impact on the voting than it appears.

Luckily for Herro, history shows that he still has a high chance at landing a spot. 

The standout Heat star wasn’t expected to win the popularity contest amongst fan voting as a starter. However, he should still have some high respect from opposing head coaches to secure a reserve spot— which will be announced on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7pm ET on TNT. 

To put Herro’s All-Star case in a bigger perspective, he is averaging more points than Donovan Mitchell. He is averaging more assists and rebounds than Kyrie Irving and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Lastly, he has shot higher from the field than Jayson Tatum and higher from 3-point range than even the likes of Stephen Curry. 

The Heat have patiently waited for Herro’s ascension to All-Star level. He has always had the talent and ability to do so, but unfortunate injury problems have limited his potential in recent years. Now, he has appeared in every single game that Miami has played in, and his rise can now be backed by his much improved availability. His emergence can also be backed by the team's success, who are tied for the East's fifth seed as of Thursday night.

If Herro somehow finds a way to get left off this 2025 All-Star roster, it would go down as one of the biggest snubs in recent history.