Tyler Herro is walking into a very different offensive job with the Milwaukee Bucks, and that’s exactly why one part of his game matters more than ever: the mid-range.
With the Bucks, Herro is set to carry a bigger load than he ever did with the Miami Heat. That means the easy looks and secondary role are gone.
If he’s going to make the jump from productive scorer to true first option, he needs another layer to his attack. The perimeter shot has long been his calling card, but the in-between game is the piece that could make everything else click.
Herro has never been bad from mid-range. In fact, the numbers show a player who has lived in the solid-to-good range for most of his career: 37.5 percent, 43.6 percent, 39.2 percent, 36.7 percent, 39.2 percent, 42.9 percent, 39.4 percent.
The best of those seasons was also his lone All-Star campaign, which is no coincidence. That was the year he posted his highest mid-range percentage.
If he can reach that level again, and do it more often, his scoring profile changes fast.
That’s where the appeal really shows up. Mid-range shots still matter when they’re part of a real plan, even in a league that loves to talk about them like they’re fading away.
Players like Kevin Durant and DeMar DeRozan have stayed dangerous deep into their careers because defenses can’t just load up on threes and layups. The mid-range keeps opponents honest.
It gives a scorer another route when the first option gets taken away.
Herro’s best season in that area lined up with his best overall production. He averaged 23.9 points and hit 56.5 percent of his 2-pointers, both career highs.
The mid-range wasn’t the only reason, but it was part of the package. On the flip side, last season was one of his least efficient mid-range years, and that’s the version he needs to leave behind.
Now the spotlight shifts with him. Teams are going to build their game plans around Herro when they face the Milwaukee Bucks, and that means the ball will be in his hands with more pressure attached.
He’ll need to pass well when defenses collapse, because teammates should get their share of open looks. But the main job is still scoring.
That’s the point of this move, and the mid-range is the cleanest way for him to take the next step.
Beyond health, that’s the real assignment: make the mid-range a strength, not just a flash point.
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