The last place Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro expected to find motivation was from the failures of one of the NBA’s top superstars.
But that’s exactly what’s happening.
Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic is finding himself the victim of heavy criticism due to a lack of success as a two-way player. He’s not known for strong play on defense, but the NBA Finals are exposing how much of a weakness it is.
Herro’s defense is considered his biggest flaw despite improvements in recent years. He’s no stranger to offensive inconsistencies, but a jump on the other end could negate shooting woes. A lack of discipline plays a part in the struggles. He’s often caught out of position, leaving his teammates to overhelp. Opponents shot more than 44 percent when guarded by Herro last season.
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Doncic has a significantly larger frame at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds (compared to the Heat guard’s 6-foot-5, 195 pounds), which is why his flaws are often hidden. However, the dynamic skillsets of Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are bringing the problem to light. Herro faced similar issues against Tatum and Brown in their first round gentleman’s sweep.
Sports personality Colin Cowherd is among those pointing to Doncic’s defensive woes as a reason the Mavs are trailing the Celtics 3-0.
“Your legacy is largely framed by Finals and Western Conference Finals. This is going to stick to him. He was atrocious defensively in these Finals,” Cowherd said. “My comp to him is he’s a better Carmelo Anthony. I don’t think he’s in great shape, I don’t think he’s easy to play with [and] I don’t think he’s committed on the defensive end.”
Whether Herro decides to focus on defense or his shooting inconsistencies will become apparent at the start of next season, but regardless, his name will likely remain in trade rumors.
Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.
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A man was hospitalized in critical condition after he was stabbed near an ATM in Miami on Tuesday morning, officials said.
Miami Police officials said the man was stabbed around 8:20 a.m. in the area of West Flagler Street and Northwest 12th Avenue in Little Havana, near a Truist bank.
Miami Fire Rescue officials said the 33-year-old was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
The man’s identity wasn’t released and officials haven’t said what led to the stabbing but said no arrests have been made.
A player who spent most of the 2025 season with College Football Playoff finalist Miami has now joined the Indiana program ahead of the national championship game.
Tight end Brock Schott was with the Hurricanes until Jan. 2 when he entered the NCAA transfer portal as Miami was still in the playoff.
Last week, he committed to the Hoosiers, before they went on to make the national title game, too.
Schott announced on Jan. 5 that he was joining the Indiana program.
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The addition of Schott could give the Hoosiers an advantage as the freshman from Indiana knows the Miami playbook, as well as the team’s signals.
Brock Schott appeared in two games for Miami this season, catching a pair of passes for 24 yards. Both of his catches came in a 45-3 win over Bethune-Cookman.
Prior to joining the Miami program, Schott was a four-star recruit who was one of the top tight end prospects in the country.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound player caught 28 passes for 462 yards and five touchdowns as a senior at Leo High School. He also played defense, recording 52 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles in 11 games.
Schott had an even better season as a junior, catching 35 passes for 743 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, he had 32 tackles for loss and 19 sacks as a junior.
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Miami and Indiana are set to meet in the national championship game on Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
