Tyler Herro has settled into the role of the Milwaukee Bucks’ go-to scorer and the numbers around his season have been strong enough to back that up. But the one area dragging on his push toward true No. 1 status is the part that matters most when games tighten up: the clutch.
When the margin shrinks and the pressure rises, Herro has not been able to carry the Bucks over the finish line. In four clutch games - the final five minutes with the score within five points - he has managed seven points while shooting 2-of-8 from the field. Among NBA players with at least eight clutch shot attempts this season, that 25 percent mark is the second-worst in the league, ahead of only Dallas’ Kyrie Irving at 22.2 percent.
The issues haven’t stopped there. Herro is also 1-of-4 at the foul line in those situations and has more turnovers than assists, with two giveaways and just one dime.
For a player asked to be the main engine, that’s a rough stretch. The fix starts with the simplest part of the job: making shots.
Whether it’s at the rim, from deep, or at the stripe, Herro has to finish possessions when the game is on the line.
That said, the late-game problems aren’t his alone. Milwaukee’s struggles in close finishes make sense given how young the roster is and how many of these players are handling major roles for the first time. Jaime Jaquez Jr. has missed all four of his field goal and free throw attempts in clutch situations, while Ryan Rollins has gone 0-of-2 from the floor and 2-of-4 from the line as his rough patch continues.
There will be growing pains with a group like this. Still, Herro is the one under the brightest spotlight because he’s the guy, and he’ll be chasing the kind of money reserved for that status in NBA free agency next summer.
If he wants to get there, the late-game stage is where he has to prove it. The sample is still small, and there’s plenty of time for him to turn it around.
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