Tyler Herro has been a man on a mission ever since the All-Star Break. In the last 10 games, Herro has averaged 25 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. On top of that, he’s shot 50.6% from the field and knocked down 46.5% of his 7.1 three-point attempts per game. Herro has made himself the undisputed leader in the race for Sixth Man of the Year and continues to prove why he should remain there for the rest of the season. According to BetMGM, Herro is the clear favorite at -2000, with the next closest being Kelly Oubre at +2500. In comparison, Herro is averaging 20.9 points and 4.8 rebounds for the season while Oubre is averaging 16 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Despite the odds being in Herro’s favor for this award, some fans believe that he shouldn’t be considered since he plays so many minutes. He averages 32.8 minutes per game, which puts him in the top 50 in the league. Other potential candidates for the award average significantly less, with Kelly Oubre averaging 27.7 minutes and Kevin Love averaging 22.2 minutes. While this is a valid argument, it hasn’t stopped previous candidates with 30+ minutes from winning the award. When Lou Williams won Sixth Man of the Year in the 2017-18 season, he averaged the same amount of minutes that Herro is currently averaging. J.R Smith also won the award in 2013 while playing 33.3 minutes per game.
While there are debates on whether or not Herro should get an extension in the offseason, there’s no question he’s put himself in a good position with his performance this season. He’s done this despite having to adjust to the return of Victor Oladipo, the emergence of Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, and various injuries to the team throughout the year.
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