Tyler a target
Pacers view rookie guard Herro as a defensive liability
Tyler Herro is a smart rookie, smart enough to realize he’s about to get picked on again.
With the Indiana Pacers having made clear that the intention against the Miami Heat’s switching defense is to create perceived defensive mismatches, Herro expects Monday’s Game 4 to be similar in at least one respect to the first three games taken by the Heat.
“I mean it’s no secret who they’re going at,” Herro said after Sunday’s optional practice at Disney World. “They’re going at me and Duncan [Robinson]. It’s no secret about it. I think everybody sees it.
“But that’s just something that I’m not going to run from it. They keep continuing to go at me; I’m going to continue to do my job and try my best and my teammates and coaches have trusted me. And I’m going to continue work at it. But, like I said, it’s nothing that I’m going to shy away from, or it’s no secret.”
To coach Erik Spoelstra, it all is part of the growth process for his two neophytes, lessons learned well enough to help give the Heat a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
“They both really work at it and study it, and, really, that’s why they improve,” he said. “This is a tough league and it gets even more challenging in the playoffs. I love their approach every single day to try to get better, to take ownership of it. That’s why they both have gotten considerably better.
“And let’s not forget the other side of the floor, as well. They present a lot of challenges for the opposing team.”
While former All-Star guard Victor Oladipo has been uneven in seizing such moments, Pacers teammate Malcolm Brogdon has thrived in such attack mode, including 34 points in the Pacers’ 124-115 loss Saturday.
“As far as Brogdon goes, he a terrific player, and experienced player, and they’re going to continue to put him in situations where he can attack,” Herro said.
For the Heat, it has been a trial under fire for first-year Herro and second-year Robinson that could pay dividends later in these playoffs and down the road.
“Those guys are big for us,” center Kelly Olynyk said. “We need them to be confident, coming out and make shots for us, and spread the floor, making plays. They’ve done it all year for us. And that’s what makes out team super successful.
“Obviously, it’s good to get a few games under their belt here in the playoffs. Playoff situations mean a lot. And for us to keep moving forward, having them get more and more and more experience, it’s only going to help.”
Kobe reflection
On what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday, Spoelstra was asked to reflect on what life in the Disney bubble might have been like for the late Los Angeles Lakers icon, who was killed earlier this year in a helicopter crash.
“You have these time slots that the NBA dictates obviously because of the protocols and everything of when you can work out and for how long,” Spoelstra said of the requirements brought on by the new coronavirus pandemic. “I imagine Kobe Bryant would have figured out a way in this bubble to have his own gym time at 5 a.m. in the morning and have his own weight room time at 6 a.m. and have his own conditioning room at 7 a.m., and then meet the team for his normal practice times. Then have somehow a practice gym available to him at 11 o’clock at night or 12 o’clock at night when everybody else was sleeping.
“So many of us have stories like that, where we witnessed Kobe Bryant’s work ethic. It’s just tragic seeing a lot of the stuff on the news today, with it being his birthday. I still can’t believe that this happened.”