After more than a year of putting the hat "The Man Who Harden Can't Change" on his head, Hiro could finally take it off. In today's 106-92 home win over the 76ers at home to take a 1-0 lead in the second round of the Eastern Conference, Hiro came off the bench to get a team-high 25 points and seven assists, not inferior to Harden and even slightly superior. In this game alone, Pat Riley refused to put Hiro in the Harden trade at that time, which seemed to be the right bet.
In this game, Hiro played 29 minutes off the bench, shooting 9 of 17, including 4 of 6 from three points and 3 of 3 from the free throw line, with 25 points and 7 assists, all of which were the highest in the team, plus or minus +4. According to US media statistics, this is the second time that Hiro has scored 25+ in a single playoff game, tying Wade and tied for first place among under-23 players in the history of the Heat.
More critically, Hiro is not inferior to Harden in this game, or even stronger. Embiid was absent in this game, but Harden did not kill the four sides, 5 of 13 in the game, including 2 of 7 from three points, 4 of 4 from the free throw line, 16 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, but 5 turnovers, plus-minus -8.
Although the second round of the East End has just begun, Embiid may still return to affect the game, but at least in this game, Hiro really let Riley breathe. I think that at that time, when Harden insisted on leaving the Rockets, the Heat was his favorite home, but in the end, the two sides of the deal broke down, but it was related to the Heat's reluctance to include Hiro in the transaction. At that time, all walks of life mocked the Heat's choice, and Hiro's dismal performance in the playoffs made him a laughingstock. But a year later, Hiro finally made a name for himself and the team.
Hiro, 22, was born on January 20, 2000 in Greenfield, Wisconsin. He is the eldest of 3 children in the family, and there are 2 younger brothers Austin and Miles. All three brothers have been associated with basketball, but the only one who really played was Giro.
Hiro later attended Wittnal High School in Greenfield. In his senior year of high school, Hiro averaged 32.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.3 steals per game, shooting more than 50% from the field and 43.5% from three-point range, making him the best team in Wisconsin. Throughout his high school career, Hiro's overall score crossed the 2,000-point threshold. In the end, he was named a four-star high school student, and was ranked as highest as 30th among the 2018 class of high school students in the United States.
At first, Hiro promised to join the University of Wisconsin-Madison. However, in early 2017, Kentucky coach John Calipari personally went to Wittnal High School to watch Hiro's game, but the latter changed his mind and turned to the University of Kentucky. In his first season at the University of Kentucky, Hiro averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range. He was named to the SEC Division's All-Freshman Team and All-Second Team, and was named SEC Division's Freshman of the Year.
Subsequently, Hiro did not delay any time and launched a professional attack on the professional league. In the 2019 NBA Draft, he was selected with the 13th pick. Seeing another defender selected in Kobe's pick, the outside world naturally has great expectations for Hiro, coupled with his being voted the best scorer of the year by the rookie of the same year, Hiro, who has just stepped into the professional arena, also has a different capital.
It turns out that Hiro did start from a higher starting point than his peers. In the rookie season, Hiro averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. In the playoffs, Hiro is a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers. In 21 games, he started five games and averaged 16 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 43.3 percent and 37.5 percent from both fields, an improvement over the regular season. The Heat reached the Finals all the way in the closed park this season, only to lose 2-4 to the Lakers, which also made Hiro's reputation go away, and people sent the nickname "Crooked Mouth God of War".
However, Hiro's growth path suffered twists and turns in the second season, and his ups and downs were closely related to the trend of the Heat. In the 2021 playoffs, the Heat were swept 4-0 by the vengeful Bucks in the first round, and in these four games, Hiro averaged only 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, and both shots fell to 31.6%, all without the arrogance of the same period in the previous year. Seeing the Nets' big three lightly take the Celtics in the first round to advance to the second round at the same time, people sighed that the Heat missed a "golden opportunity". In the 2021 offseason, according to local media in Miami, the probability of Hiro being traded was as high as 75%.
Perhaps it was this that stimulated Hiro, and when the season began, people suddenly found that the "crooked mouth god of war" of the year was back. This season, Hiro's offensive and defensive efficiency is the best in his career, with a career-high efficiency (16.2), true shooting percentage (56.1%), usage (28.8%), win-per-48 minute contribution and true plus-minus.
In terms of offensive distribution, Hiro increased mid-range shots this season and reduced the proportion of impact inside and three-point shots. At the same time, in the case of the mid-range shooting rate and last season's basically the same, Hiro's basket and three-point shooting rate has improved significantly. In short, Hiro's current attack can be described as quality and quantity.
In fact, in terms of Hiro's performance in this year's playoffs, although it is stronger than last year, there is still a gap compared with the rookie season, with the total shooting rate falling below 40%, and the three-point shooting rate falling below 20% (5 of 28). But today, Hiro showed signs of recovery and won Harden face to face, which is a blessing for the Heat.
Throughout his career, Hiro's performance has always been closely linked to the Heat's record, and this season is no exception, which has made him a big hit for the best sixth man award of the season, and a five-year, $184 million fat offer is said to be waiting quietly ahead. Even at the end of April, Hiro's father, Chris, said: "If the Heat did not have Hiro, the winning rate would be at most 50%." I'm not talking big, I'm just telling the truth. ”
In today's frequent changes in the stars, it is a thing to boast about cultivating the players selected by the team, and Hiro is bound to become another proud work of the "god operator". (Supine Braces/Hairy)