3 Heat players whose roles aren't safe after the All-Star break
By Wes Goldberg
Haywood Highsmith
Highsmith played important minutes against the Bucks and 76ers this week, but that was because Miami was missing three rotation players. When the Heat are healthy, there may not be room for Highsmith to get on the court.
Miami’s healthy rotation consists of Rozier, Tyler Herro, Butler, Caleb Martin and Adebayo, with Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kevin Love coming off the bench. That’s nine.
Highsmith may be Miami’s second-best defender (behind only Adebayo), but he doesn’t offer enough offensively to stay on the court. Opponents can play off of him and crowd Miami’s ball-handlers, putting even more of a strain on the league’s 22nd-ranked offense.
He is among Spoelstra’s first options to enter the rotation when looking for injury replacements, but if/when the Heat get healthy, he’ll be watching most games from the sidelines.