The Milwaukee Bucks have opened the season in a rough spot at 1-4, but Tyler Herro has given them one clear reason to feel better about where this is headed.
After arriving as one of the major pieces in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Herro has stepped in and produced right away. In five games, he’s averaging 23 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists while knocking down 47% of his three-point attempts on high volume.
What stands out most is how he’s getting those numbers. Herro isn’t just spotting up and cashing in easy looks - he’s creating a lot of his own offense, and he’s doing it efficiently. Through five games, he leads the NBA in efficiency among high-volume pull-up shooters, with a 77.3% effective field goal percentage on 6.6 pull-up attempts per game.
Tyler Herro been the most efficient high-volume pull up shooter in the NBA so far this season…77.3 eFG% on 6.6 pull up FGA/g pic.twitter.com/9dDLVSAxoB
That’s a huge number for a player taking that many shots off the dribble, especially when defenses already know he’s one of Milwaukee’s main scoring options. Herro has long had the reputation of being dangerous from deep, but his broader offensive package can get overlooked.
He can create separation, score at all three levels and function without needing a playmaker to hand him clean looks. That’s been on display early in Milwaukee.
There’s no reason to assume he’ll keep shooting at this exact pace all season. Numbers like this usually settle down.
But there’s a difference between a hot streak and a player who has repeatedly shown he can make tough shots. Herro has done that for years, and now he’s being asked to carry even more.
The Bucks’ record is still a problem, and there’s no way around that. Their performances have been uneven, though it’s also early enough that sweeping judgments about a roster rebuilt over the summer would be premature.
Milwaukee is still figuring out new roles for several players, including young pieces like Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware. That kind of adjustment period usually comes with some messy nights, and the Bucks have already had a few.
For now, Herro is giving them a scorer they can lean on when the offense bogs down. He’s handling a heavy load, making tough shots and offering Milwaukee a steady option with the ball in his hands.
The bigger question is whether those individual numbers can start turning into wins. The Bucks need more from the rest of the roster, especially on defense, and Herro will also have to keep finding ways to bring teammates along as the group builds chemistry.
This could be a tough season in Milwaukee, and after five games it already looks like that path will be rocky. But if the Bucks are looking for a bright spot, Herro has been it. He’s 27, still in his prime, and if this scoring level holds, he could become a major piece for them moving forward.
In Other News...
Bucks Suddenly Face A Tough Jaime Jaquez Jr Decision
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has quietly become one of the more interesting names in the Bucks orbit, and not just because of what he has done on the floor. His production and team-friendly contract make him the kind of player front offices like to keep around, which is exactly why any talk of moving him has to be weighed carefully. For Milwaukee, the appeal is obvious: he is useful now and still has room to grow, a combination that usually makes a player harder to pry loose than his profile might suggest.
Still, the speculation keeps circling because Oklahoma City has the kind of assets and roster flexibility that can turn a theoretical deal into a real conversation. The Thunder need help on the perimeter after injuries thinned that part of the roster, and they also have the draft-pick stockpile to chase a player like Jaquez if they decide he is worth the push. For the Bucks, the question is whether a strong young contributor is the sort of piece they can afford to discuss at all, even in a deal that remains firmly in the realm of analysis for now. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Suddenly Put Cleveland In A Spot It Can't Afford To Blow
The first Central Division meeting of the season arrives with Milwaukee still trying to settle into life after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to Miami, and the Bucks have not exactly looked like a team ready to make things easy on anyone. Even in a rebuilding phase, they still have enough recognizable pieces to make this a useful measuring stick for Cleveland, especially with Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. giving Milwaukee a different kind of perimeter punch than the Bucks have featured in recent years.
For the Cavaliers, this is the sort of game that can quietly matter later, because it is the kind of matchup contenders are supposed to handle while also using the night to keep developing depth in the rotation. Milwaukees early-season struggles open the door, but they also make the Bucks dangerous in a different way, since a team searching for traction can be unpredictable. Cleveland gets the chance to bank a division win and keep building momentum, but it cannot afford to treat this one like a routine stop. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks May Have A New Answer To Their Playmaking Problem
The Bucks have spent much of this season searching for a cleaner answer in the half court, and the passing numbers have reflected it. Milwaukee sits last in passes per game, a drop-off made sharper by the recent waiver of Kevin Porter Jr., who led the team in that category a year ago. Into that opening has stepped Kasparas Jakucionis, whose willingness to move the ball has given the offense a different rhythm and at least some needed relief.
Jakucionis is averaging 35.2 passes and 4.2 assists per game, production that has made him look like more than just a developmental piece in the deal that brought him to Milwaukee in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. The Bucks still need more from the perimeter to fully unlock what he can do, but his passing has already become a meaningful part of the offense, and it offers a glimpse of a possible long-term fix if the shot comes along. [Read more 🡒]