Homecoming stories in sports are always cool to witness. 

Milwaukee Bucks guard Tyler Herro always envisioned playing for his hometown team one day, even if the way he got there wasn't exactly how he drew it up. 

Herro returned to the state of Wisconsin as part of a trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat this offseason. 

Having grown up around 11.9 miles away from the Bucks' Fiserv Forum arena, Herro inherited enormous shoes to fill. However, he's a completely different type of player from Giannis, and that's not what's expected of him in Milwaukee. 

What is expected, though, is elite-level production, and Herro has delivered on that front through five games — even if the Bucks' record doesn't reflect it.

If Herro can maintain the trajectory, he has a clear path towards a second career All-Star berth and a long-term extension with the franchise. 

Not much can compare to playing in front of the same fans with whom you cheered on the same team your entire life. 

Herro is evidently embracing it and trying to be the Bucks' leader as they embark on this daunting rebuild. 

Getting traded from the team that drafted you No. 13 overall in 2019 cannot be easy. However, Herro appears to be over it, and what better redemption arc than becoming the new face of your hometown franchise? 

Though the Bucks are likely to want to keep Herro around — he is only 26 and already in his eighth year — this season for him is a bit of a prove-it deal. 

He is in the final year of his four-year, $120 million extension that he signed in Miami in 2022. 

As the Bucks assess all their young talent this year, deciding whether they want Herro to steer the ship forward is one of the big decisions that they will be faced with at some point during the campaign. Otherwise, Herro will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. 

The Bucks are 1-4 through their first five games, but Herro's performances have deserved more. 

He is averaging 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists —  doing all he can to help Milwaukee into the win column. Herro is shooting 50 percent from the field and a red-hot 47.2 percent from beyond the arc. 

The Bucks started the season 0-3, but hung around in all of those relatively close losses. 

They finally triumphed on Monday when they defeated Indiana 110-102 at home behind 23 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists from Herro. He added a block and a steal. 

Herro has scored over 20 points in four of five games so far, with a high of 34 in the Bucks' 132-125 defeat to Chicago on Oct. 23. 

Milwaukee's latest loss, 132-100 against Houston at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday, was a tough reality check — underpinning where the team currently stands.

However, if All-Star voting began today, Herro would be on the ballots and deservedly so. 

Even if the Bucks bottom out in the Eastern Conference, this year is about more than winning for Herro. He has something to prove to himself and to the Bucks. 

An All-Star nod would affirm that he has.