Tyler Hero has emerged as one of the best players of the Miami Heat. He thrives as a highly used player. But people like Mario Chalmers believe that fever still needs real point guards.
The Miami Heat had no gloss in the 2024-25 season and finished in 8th place. They reached the playoffs but were unable to register a single victory against the first seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
During that campaign, Tyler Hero emerged as the Heat’s best player. He won his first NBA All-Star nod, Miami’s lead ball handler, number one option and was the sole representative for All-Star Weekend.
It’s normal for players like Hero to be converted to point guards, but many people hate it because of the heat. Former Heat Champion Mario Chalmers thinks the team is better if they have a “true” point guard to lead the offense.
Hero is primarily a shooting guard, as evident in his score-first approach. He has developed into a decent point guard, but when he makes the attack he is not at his best.
Of course, the league is full of players like this. This is full of players like this as MVP and final MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are hybrid guards. Hero averages 5.5 assists per game for each game in the 2024-25 season and has a decent playmaking number.
Despite these promising numbers, Chalmers asserts that fever doesn’t require hero as a point guard. The 2025 NBA Draft proved that Miami needed guard depth in that position as Miami chose “draft steal” Kasparas jakucionis on the 20th pick.
The 19-year-old is probably a long-term point guard, opening the door for Hero to return to his shooting guard. It should soothe Chalmers, but if Hero continues as their lead guard, it may not happen for a while.
“I’ve always said this about Miami. Miami is in top form when it has a true point guard. I think that’s kind of what they’re missing right now,” Chalmers told SiriusXM NBA radio.
“Tyler Hero can’t play points, but he’s a better scorer, so he needs to score. Bum is a defensive anchor who can score. Andrew Wiggins is a goal scorer.”
“I like Davion Mitchell. He’s a perfect nose defensive defender who can run a team and I think they have a better chance with him on the rim.”
As one of the best coaches in the NBA, Heat fans can trust head coach Erik Spoelstra with his decision. If he sticks to Hero at the point guard, he will probably plan a game to help his team.
Hero is currently a proven All-Star, so he’s doing the right thing. Chalmers still lists points that are valid as true point guards have different priorities compared to Hero.
He developed into a powerful playmaker, assisting 4.5 to 5.5 games per season. He now has Norman Powell, who is criminally underrated, and is helping him and Bam Adebayo with an attack. Powell is a significant acquisition. Because he becomes a useful teammate who can finish inside and shoot well from the boundary.
If Spoelstra can set up a game plan that utilizes Herro’s burgeoning skill set, the fever is in a good place. Especially at the Eastern Conference, the Heat could become the top team again as Achilles was injured by a superstar player, resulting in fewer top teams in the Eastern Conference.