Bam's frontcourt partner: Breaking down options for the Heat's fifth starter

For the better part of the Jimmy Butler era, the power forward position has been a carousel of short-term solutions. Kelly Olynyk, Meyers Leonard, Trevor Ariza, P.J. Tucker, Caleb Martin, Kevin Love and Nikola Jovic have all spent time lining up next to Bam Adebayo over the past half-decade to mixed results.

The Miami Heat went to the Finals with Olynyk and Leonard. Both provided size and shooting that optimized the spacing around Bam Adebayo and Butler. The Heat went on a run in 2023 with Martin at the 4, who was the most versatile of the group. But the best solution was Tucker, who provided the best defense Miami has ever had next to Adebayo and was a reliable corner 3-point shooter. It’s not a coincidence that the only time the Heat won more than 50 games in the regular season during this stretch was with Tucker in the starting lineup.

Training camp opened Tuesday in the Bahamas. Erik Spoelstra on media day all but revealed that four of Miami’s five starters will be Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Butler and Adebayo.

“I’m not going to give you headlines about the starting lineup or rotation,” Spoelstra said. “But I am intentional about seeing what Terry [Rozier], Tyler [Herro], Bam [Adebayo], Jimmy [Butler] look like. We have to see how that group can complement each other and lift this whole group up.”

That begs the question: Who is the fifth starter?

The positional fit: Nikola Jovic

Jovic has the inside track entering the preseason. For one, he’s the incumbent at the position, starting at power forward in the final 30 games of the regular season and playoffs. At 6-foot-10 and listed at 240 pounds, he’s also the only player besides Adebayo with true power forward size on the roster.

Jovic is the closest thing the Heat have had to Olynyk as a floor-spacer with size. He shot 40% on 3s last season, including 46.8% from the corners. Like Olynyk, Jovic is underwhelming as a rebounder and not much of a factor near the basket despite his prototypical size. That’s something he’s working with coaches to improve.

“I just want to be more physical and use my body more because I feel like I can make so many opportunities for me and others,” Jovic told me at media day. “I know I’ll be a good spot-up shooter, and I’m still working on even being better, but I always try to add something that I dont do and I wasnt really doing a lot around the basket. And I think I should, especially because I’m 6-10.”

Physicality around the basket isn’t limited to posting up smaller players. Jovic needs to improve as a rebounder and screen-setter and doing the things associated with a frontcourt position. 

Jovic has gotten reps playing alongside the four starters in the early days of training camp. It might be his spot to lose.

The offensive option: Jaime Jaquez Jr.

If Jaquez is going to make a run at the starting job, he’ll first need to prove he’s a capable 3-point shooter. As a rookie, Jaquez as a shooter could best be described as streaky. He shot 39.2% on 3s in November, 32.4% in December, 25.9% in January, 20% in February, 29.7% in March and then 41.2% in April. It averaged out to 32% – the same percentage he shot in college, when 3-point shooting was a question.

In his exit interview, the coaching staff and front office gave him a clear assignment: Get better at shooting 3s.

“I think it’s going to be very critical,” Jaquez said of making more 3s.

As long as the Heat stay healthy, the reps will be there. Jaquez was often thrust into a playmaking role as a rookie because of injuries to Butler, Herro and others. The vision is that Jaquez’s efficiency will bump up if they can scale down his role.

“As far as last year, there was a lot of times where I had the ball in my hands and had to make plays,” Jaquez said. “With a lot of guys being back and healthy, things change. And I’m going to have to be ready to be able to spot up on the 3-point line and knock down shots.”

There’s no questioning Jaquez’s offensive capabilities. His pallet of post moves and ability to read defenses and make quick decisions makes him the most dynamic offensive player of Miami’s options. If he starts, defenses will have a hard time keeping track of five players who can win in 1 on 1 situations. 

“Obviously you want to be a starter. However, I’m very comfortable – I had a lot of fun – coming off the bench,” Jaquez said. “I’m very much open to anything.”

The defensive option: Haywood Highsmith

Butler, Adebayo and Haywood Highsmith shared the court for 355 minutes last season. The Heat held opponents to 109.1 points per 100 possessions with that three-man combination, a mark that would have ranked second in defensive rating for the season.

Despite the focus on improving a bottom-10 offense, Spoelstra always makes a point to stress the importance of defense. Though Highsmith is a dark-horse candidate to be the fifth starter, he can’t be overlooked.

He’s the closest option to Tucker. When Highsmith arrived in Miami, coaches gave him tape of Tucker to watch. Do this, was the general idea. Set strong screens, make the open ones from the corner and, most important, defend your tail off. 

Since then, Highsmith had fashioned himself into a semi-reliable 3-point shooter. He was fifth on the team in total made 3s last season, shooting 40% overall and 44% from the corners. He’ll need to prove that it wasn’t a one-year blip.

There’s an argument that Highsmith is the cleanest fit. He checks the box as a high-level defender, doesn’t need the ball on offense and has the most experience of the options.

When asked about his role at media day, Highsmith kept it simple. He said he wants to be, “One of the top 3-and-D guys in the league. Be a lockdown defender.”

In regards to starting, Highsmith was non-committal.

“I just want to be on the court and impacting winning,” he said. “Whether it’s starting or coming off the bench, I just want to play.”