A Herro will save us: Looking at Tyler Herro and his potential fit with the Pacers

We are less than a month away from the 2019 NBA Draft. Tyler Herro has been linked as an Indiana Pacers draft pick recently. Is he a fit for the Pacers?

Recent mock drafts from CBS Sports and Bleacher Report have placed Kentucky guard Tyler Herro at 18th overall. Herro is a 6’6” shooting guard out of the University of Kentucky.

While not an elite prospect by any means, Herro is an excellent scorer when he wants to be. In his lone season at Kentucky, Herro scored 14 points per contest on .462/.355/.935 shooting splits. He is best as a spot-up shooter on the outside but can get to the rim as well.

The Pacers need scoring off the bench, especially in the form of guys who can create their own shots. Herro may not have hit threes at a high clip, but he is deadly when given space.

If he can begin to knock down tough shots, his NBA career will be even better. How could he fit in Indiana?

The good: Offensive arsenal

Tyler Herro possesses a quick launch and release to get up shots before defenders can close out. He is excellent beyond the arc when given space to elevate and fire. Once he gets locked in, Herro is a deadeye shooter that can space the floor.

He can find soft spots without the ball or drive to the hole with the ball in his hands. Herro is also a great finisher in transition as he can pull up or drive to the rim.

After a slow start last season, Herro picked up his shot in January. He shot over 40 percent from deep in conference play for the Wildcats. Even more impressive, Herro only missed one free throw in conference play. He knocked down 38 of his 39 attempts in that span, and 87 of 93 on the season.

He knows how to score the ball, and he can be a nice building piece off the bench.

Herro is a good, not great, athlete with a knack for getting buckets. He is strong in his drives with great body control and a soft touch.

The Pacers desperately need creators on offense. Although Herro is far from a complete prospect, his offensive talent is enticing. At the very least, he can be an extra weapon on the perimeter.

The bad: There’s a lot of work to do

Tyler Herro is a great scorer, but that’s about all we know so far. Despite his 6’6” frame, his wingspan is only 6’3”. It’s not often we see a wingspan that much shorter than a player’s height, and there is reason for concern.

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Herro will be limited defensively as he does not boast great length and athleticism to hold his own. Short arms will make it difficult to cut off passing lanes and contest shots. Herro will have to develop quick feet in order to be somewhat reliable on that end of the floor.

His early-season woes at Kentucky are also concerning. While he eventually picked up the slack, he needs to be much more consistent as a shooter. If he cannot be relied on to do what he does best, then there will be problems.

Herro also needs to get to the charity stripe more. For a player that is automatic from the line, he needs to be more aggressive. The more he scores, the better. His ceiling will be dictated by his ability to knock down shots consistently.

Tyler Herro is an unpolished prospect, of course. While he is a pretty good passer, his assist-to-turnover ratio is questionable.

With just 2.4 assists and 1.7 turnovers on average, Herro is limited to playing as an off-ball weapon. He often holds the ball too long or takes contested shots, rather than move the ball around. He will need to deliver the ball inside more often at the next level.

Final verdict

The Indiana Pacers need buckets off the bench, and Herro could be exactly that. While he does not have a complete game yet, his upside as a scorer is incredible. His ability to knock down open shots and free throws will make him a hot commodity in the middle of the first round.

Herro would be a nice addition at pick 18 if the Pacers take care of business elsewhere in free agency. A second unit of Aaron Holiday, Tyler Herro, and Domas Sabonis would be quite the treat. I like a few other options over Herro at this spot, but I wouldn’t be mad at taking him in the first.