3. Haywood Highsmith
But like Herro, Robinson can be targetted defensively. Even though both have improved as team defenders – head on a swivel, rarely out of position – they have physical limitations that make it difficult for them to stop top scorers in one-on-one situations. The Boston Celtics, for example, pulled Herro or Robinson into a pick-and-roll and had Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown score in isolation over and over. It was too easy. That’s not going away.
If the Heat want to add a bit more defensive juice – or, more accurately, remove a defensive weak link – they could swap in one of the best defensive players on the roster, Haywood Highsmith.
Highsmith thrives as a perimeter defender who can guard multiple positions. Spoelstra last season often went to him to turn off the faucet on a hot scorer. What if that scorer never got hot in the first place because Highsmith was putting the clamps on him from the jump?
Highsmith, re-signed this summer to a two-year, $10 million deal, has mostly played forward in Miami. But, at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, what has been an undersized forward could become an oversized guard. If his 40% 3-point shooting rate from last season is repeatable, Highsmith could resemble a 3-and-D guard like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The politics could be tough: Highsmith making $15-25 million less than the other options that would be coming off the bench. There would also be questions for an offense that needs as much spacing as possible. But it’s intriguing.