The Miami Heat might be entering Game 3 of the 2020 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in an 0-2 series hole, but rookie Tyler Herro has been slowly gaining ground on both Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain in the record books.
Herro, after an impressive run, will enter play on Sunday with the eighth-highest scoring postseason by a rookie in NBA history. Herro, who has scored 278 points during the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals, trails the seventh-placed Johnson by just 15 points and Chamberlain by 21 points.
In other words, a 22-point effort — something that should clearly be considered within the realm of possibility for the talented neophyte — would give Herro the sixth spot on the coveted list.
For those who may be wondering, the record-holder is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Also known as “The Captain,” Kareem scored 353 points as a rookie in the 1969-70 postseason in which the Milwaukee Bucks lost in the second round to the New York Knicks.
Aside from Herro, the only other active player on the list is Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, who scored 351 points in the 2017-18 postseason.
Prior to Sunday’s Game 3, Herro was asked about the record, and was quoted by the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman as being predictably dismissive of his bout with the record book.
“I mean I see it, but I don’t really acknowledge it,” Herro said ahead of Sunday’s game. “I think records are meant to be broken. It’s still early in my career, so at the end of the day it’s just a small steppingstone.”
As Winderman pointed out, had the Heat been less “efficient” with the expediency in which they dispatched their opponents this offseason, the rookie may have had an opportunity to become the all-time leader. Recall that the Heat swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round, defeated the Bucks in five games and then won the Eastern Conference Finals in just six games.
Despite that, Herro trails Abdul-Jabbar by just 74 points. Entering play on Oct. 4, the rookie is averaging 16.4 points per playoff game, meaning that five more contests played to this point could have already had him holding the record.
Making history, though, is nothing new for the youngster, who has already surpassed even the likes of Dwyane Wade.
Obviously, if the Heat — who enter Sunday’s Game 3 in an 0-2 hole — extend the 2020 NBA Finals, it would further preserve his opportunity to catch Kareem. Whether or not that’s the case, though, it stands to reason that Herro will at least have a shot at eclipsing both Magic and Wilt.
In any event, Miami is looking to capture its fourth NBA championship. Individual records and accolades have never been what the franchise is about. Nonetheless, as we ponder what the future may hold for Herro, it’s pretty impressive to note that his postseason, at least from a scoring standpoint, ranks him among some of the game’s giants.