Can Haywood Highsmith be the Heat’s starting power forward?
By Wes Goldberg
In advance of the start of training camp on Oct. 3, AllUCanHeat is analyzing the Miami Heat player-by-player. This installment focuses on Haywood Highsmith, who could end up anywhere from the fringe of the rotation to a starter.
To this day, Haywood Highsmith watches film of former Miami Heat forward PJ Tucker. The two have enough in common that the comparison makes sense: Above-average wingspans, defensive tenacity, and a willingness to do the little things.
Where the comparison falls apart, however, is that Tucker is one of the game’s elite corner 3-point shooters. It was when Tucker developed that specific shot that he went from an undersized tweener struggling to find solid footing on an NBA roster to playing a key role on winning teams in Phoenix, Houston, Milwaukee, Miami and Philadelphia. Highsmith hopes to make a similar leap.
In Tucker’s first year in the NBA, he attempted exactly zero 3-pointers in 17 games for the Raptors. By the next year, he was playing in Israel. Tucker spent the next five seasons toiling in international leagues in Ukraine, Greece and Germany. In 2012, he got his second shot at the NBA when he was signed by the Suns. That season, he started 45 games. Then 81. Over 11 seasons, Tucker has become one of the key role players in the NBA, starting 656 of 852 games and winning a championship with the Bucks in 2021.
The biggest difference between Tucker’s first stint and his second? The 3-pointer. Tucker since returning to the NBA has been one of the league’s most prolific corner 3-point shooters, making them at a 38.4% clip. Though he’s undersized, he gets on the court because he defends like hell and reliably makes open 3s from his sweet spot.
Highsmith checks most of those boxes, except the most important one. At 6-foot-5, Highsmith is undersized for a power forward but his near-7-foot wingspan helps him guard bigger players. Last season, Highsmith spent 74% of his minutes defending power forwards and centers, per basketball-reference.com. He managed to get on the court in 54 regular-season games and 18 games in the playoffs.
But if Highsmith is going to become a regular part of Miami’s nightly rotation, he needs to check the final box. Highsmith has made just 31.8% of his corner 3s over his career. He’s a career 33% shooter from beyond the arc in all. Defenses don’t respect him from distance, and so it cramps the floor for teammates like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Coaches will be watching Highsmith’s 3-point shot in training camp and the preseason. When he’s not watching film of Tucker, Highsmith works diligently with Heat shooting coach Rob Fodor on his outside jumper.
Highsmith is already a trusted defender. Erik Spoelstra last season deployed him on stars like Jayson Tatum and Nikola Jokic. If that corner 3-pointer comes along, Highsmith can go from a defensive specialist at the end of the bench to potentially starting at power forward.
Haywood Highsmtih
Position: Forward
Ht./Wt.: 6-7/220
College: Wheeling
Years pro: 3
2022-23: 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists in 17.9 minutes per game
Contract status: In final year of three-year, $3.95 million deal ($1.9 million this season)
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