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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Tyler Herro must feel vindicated right now. He was made fun of for comparing himself to Luka Doncic and Ja Morant. Now, he is the Sixth Man of the Year . In the most unsurprising category of the NBA postseason awards, Herro won.

 

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The man averaging 32 minutes a game has been great coming off the bench for the Miami Heat. The 22-year-old earned the award over finalists Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cam Johnson of the Phoenix Suns.

Fans reaction to the awardee Herro

via Getty

It is no surprise that the fans are also going berserk as they feel he has been a deserving candidate for this award. Some fans also say that he is basically a glorified starter for the Heat. It is because of the minutes he gets per game. Nonetheless, here are some interesting reactions to Herro winning the Sixth Man of the Year:

Tyler Herro as the 6th man for the Heat

Herro had a breakout third season in Miami, averaging 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He was the second-leading scorer for a squad that earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, trailing only Jimmy Butler (21.4 PPG).

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The Kentucky product reached double digits in 63 of 66 games, topping 30 points in eight games. This production came despite coming off the bench for all but 10 games during the regular season. Miami kept proven veterans Butler and Kyle Lowry ahead of Herro in the starting lineup. Duncan Robinson also got a lot of starts during the year.

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USA Today via Reuters

Herro could still help the team while shooting 39.9 percent from the three-point range and 86.8 percent from the free-throw line. The 2019 first-round pick emerged on the national scene during the 2020 playoffs, helping the Heat reach the NBA Finals. He had an up-and-down 2020-21 campaign when he missed time with neck and foot injuries, but he has now emerged as a legitimate star.

Watch this story: 5 Times Draymond Green Resorted To Dirty Fouls That Occasionally Got Him Ejected

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It was enough to win the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the first Miami player ever to claim the award. It also breaks a streak of six straight Western Conference players to earn the honor, including four Los Angeles Clippers representatives. Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson won it last year.

Will Herro keep this up and become a truly world class player? We will have to wait and see how this season goes.