8. Tyler Herro (Miami Heat)
Tyler Herro was the toughest player for me to rank. If he were fully healthy, he’d be a lot higher on this list than 8th. However, we’re not exactly sure when he’ll be able to play in the NBA Finals, and even once he gets on the court we don’t know what he’ll look like. Herro is coming off of a broken shooting hand, which can complicate things as a score-first guard. However, a player of Herro’s caliber has to be included on the list if there is a chance he’ll play in my opinion. Some reports have stated that the Heat is targeting a Game 3 return for Herro.
In the regular season, Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He did so while shooting 43.9% from the field, 37.8% from deep, and a league-leading 93.4% from the line. When healthy, Herro can be a true difference-maker for the Heat.
7. Caleb Martin (Miami Heat)
Caleb Martin arguably should’ve been named Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his performance down the stretch against Boston. In that series, Martin averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 60.2% shooting from the field and 48.9% shooting from 3. Martin scored 20+ in three of the games (including 26 in Game 7), scored in double-digits in every game, and grabbed 15 rebounds in Game 6. You get the point, Martin was fantastic against the Celtics.
For the playoffs as a whole, Martin is averaging 14.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. He is also shooting a superb 56.6% from the field, 43.8% from deep, and 81.8% from the line. Martin is arguably playing the best basketball of his career right now.
In the regular season, Martin averaged 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and one steal per game. Martin shot 46.4% from the field, 35.6% from 3, and 80.5% from the line on the year.