Haywood Highsmith makes a strong case for bigger role in Heat’s preseason loss to Nets
By Max Escarpio
Three takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 107-104 loss to the Brooklyn Nets in their second-to-last game of the preseason.
Several star players were out for the Miami Heat’s preseason game against the Nets, but that gave the chance for a few role players to shine.
Several players were excluded from Wednesday’s game due to injuries or rest, including Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Kevin Love, Caleb Martin, Jaime Jacquez Jr. and RJ Hampton. Spoelstra started the game with a lineup of Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Jamal Cain, Josh Richardson and Haywood Highsmith.
Brooklyn had their regular season lineup on the floor, giving the Heat role players a tremendous opportunity to play meaningful minutes against starters.
Haywood Highsmith continues to make his case for a bigger role this season
Highsmith stole the show early in the first quarter, knocking down two triples while leading the game with eight points. They not only held their own but dominated the start of the game with a double-digit lead in the opening minutes. Highsmith finished with 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting (3 of 4 from 3-point range) in 27 minutes.
Miami led for a large portion of the first half, but ultimately fell to the Nets, 107-104. Outcomes don’t get much attention in the preseason. This is a time to pay detailed attention to different lineups, minutes from role players, and initial game plans from the coaching staff.
When Highsmith was on the floor he was the most impactful player on both ends. Contesting shots at the rim, draining threes, and driving to the basket with ease. He looked extremely comfortable and, in a welcome change, had a scoring mentality. Highsmith was always trying to find a way to get the ball to the bottom of the net, whether that was making the right play for others or taking over with his shooting ability.
“I’m going to keep putting that extra work in, keep trusting myself, trust in my craft, trust in the work I put in over the summer,” Highsmith said. “Just keep that same confidence, and staying level, not getting too high, not getting too low.”
Despite it being a “meaningless” preseason game, this may have shown that Highsmith deserves to start for this Heat squad. He plays well alongside Adebayo and has great length that would help the Heat on both sides of the court. Spoelstra and the Heat have most of their starting lineup set for the season, but the power forward position may still be getting juggled between Highsmith and Love.
Other Heat role players stand out
As Miami inches toward opening night, there are plenty of choices to be made in terms of two-way contracts and G-League opportunities. Some of those players fighting for a roster spot got an opportunity to showcase what they can do with NBA minutes. Jamal Cain, Dru Smith, Justin Champagnie and Cole Swider are among that group.
Swider had a successful performance, but the others shared a relatively streaky night. Cain, Champagnie, and Smith combined for an 11-30 shooting night, but Smith countered that with a team-high 10 assists.
“It’s just very steady,” Spoelstra of Dru Smith. “When you play him with your main guys, he knows how to really fit in and complement that kind of group. But if you need him to make those kind of plays, he’s rock solid, he tends to make the right play that the team sees.”
Nikola Jovic and Orlando Robinson are two players expected to find a role with this team but didn’t stand out tonight either. Without a more experienced player like Highsmith or Adebayo in the lineup, the game was sloppy for the Heat. It’s a wild world when Jovic and Robinson are your most experienced players on the hardwood, but that was exactly what happened throughout the entire fourth quarter. Jovic finished the game with nine points on 3-of-9 from the field and Robinson secured seven points and five rebounds.
Miami will play its final game of the preseason this Friday against the Rockets in Houston. The regular season begins Oct. 25, at home against the Detroit Pistons.
