2019 NBA Draft - Community Draft Board: Wisconsin’s Own Tyler Herro Goes at 18

Following P.J. Washington at 15, Kevin Porter, Jr. at 16, and Bol Bol at 17, Kentucky freshman Tyler Herro lands at No. 18 on the Brew Hoop Community Draft Board.

Herro was the No. 1 recruit from Wisconsin in the 2018 class and the No. 37 overall recruit according to 247 Sports. After originally committing to play for the Badgers, Herro changed his mind and decommitted, deciding instead to head to Kentucky to play under John Calipari. Needless to say, that did Herro no favors in the minds of Wisconsin fans.

Regardless, it seems like Herro’s choice to play for Big Blue Nation was the right one in terms of his career. He started all 37 games for the Wildcats as a freshman in a much more wide-open offense than he would’ve played in with the Badgers, averaging 14 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists with an effective field goal percentage of 53.6.

Herro’s calling card is his pure shooting stroke. Despite shooting just 35.5 percent from three last year at Kentucky (on more than 4.5 per game), Herro’s form, coupled with his 93.5 percent free throw percentage, points to a shooting ability that should translate almost immediately to the NBA.

Herro’s shooting form is near perfect. At 6-foot-6 and with a high, quick release, he should be able to get his shot off over almost any guard or wing defending him. He also has good extension on his follow through, making for an extremely repeatable jump shot. His form looks comfortable and simple.

At Kentucky, Herro showed he can move without the ball, weaving through screens until he finds an opportunity to catch and shoot, but his off-the-dribble game is ahead of his catch-and-shoot game at this point. Herro can pump fake and attack close-outs and get to the rim or side-step a defender for another open jumper. He’s also comfortable in the mid-range and has shown finishing ability at the rim with both hands and with floaters. He also showed brief flashes as a pick-and-roll ball handler with the ability to see over smaller defenders and the intelligence to make the right play.

An underrated aspect of Herro’s game is his defense. He’s never going to be a lock-down defender, but he plays with enough energy and effort to be a bother at 6’6”. In the clip above, you can see him maneuver around a screen and recover in time to block a shot. On another possession, he uses his effort and IQ to reach out and deflect a telegraphed pass into the post, resulting in a steal and two points for Kentucky.

On the flip side, his shooting numbers coming off screens don’t stand up as strongly as they should given his form. He has the ability to find space and looks fluid turning and facing the basket, but those shots don’t go down as often as you’d hope, at least not yet. His lack of explosiveness could also put a cap on how well he’s able to finish at the rim against NBA bigs; his craftiness may only take him so far. Defensively, he doesn’t have the lateral quickness to stay in front of quicker NBA guards; he often got exposed facing those types of players in college.

Herro would be well worth a shot at 18 given his shooting stroke and offensive skill set at 6’6”. He’s not limited to catch-and-shoot opportunities or simply running off screens like J.J. Redick; The Ringer compares him to Devin Booker, which makes a lot more sense given his more complete offensive game.

Brew Hoop Draft Board Rankings

1. Zion Williamson - PF, Duke
2. Ja Morant - PG, Murray State
3. Jarrett Culver - SG, Texas Tech
4. R.J. Barrett - SG, Duke
5. Darius Garland - PG, Vanderbilt
6. Coby White - SG, UNC
7. De’Andre Hunter - SF, Virginia
8. Cam Reddish - SF, Duke
9. Sekou Doumbouya - PF, Limoges CSP, France
10. Nassir Little - SF, UNC
11. Jaxson Hayes - C, Texas
12. Rui Hachimura - PF, Gonzaga
13. Brandon Clarke - PF, Gonzaga
14. Goga Bitadze - C, Mega Bemax, Adriatic Basketball Association
15. P.J. Washington - PF, Kentucky
16. Kevin Porter Jr. - SG, USC
17. Bol Bol - PF, Oregon
18. Tyler Herro - SG, Kentucky