Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra made a significant change to his starting lineup Tuesday night, using rookie big man Kel’el Ware alongside Bam Adebayo in a double-big frontcourt. That meant Haywood Highsmith came off the bench after starting 32 of the previous 33 games he had played, and he saw just four minutes of action in a loss to Portland.
“Just control what I can control,” Highsmith told reporters, including Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s a long season. I know there are going to be ups and downs. I’m used to it, for sure.”
The 28-year-old forward has been primarily a reserve during his four seasons in Miami, but his role has expanded this season, even though his minutes aren’t always steady. Spoelstra emphasized that the team is still counting on Highsmith to contribute, even when he doesn’t start.
“I actually talked to him about it, that sometimes when things are fluid and they’re moving fast, sometimes things happen and it’s not at all an indictment or an indication of how you’re playing,” Spoelstra said. “He’s an example of that. He’s had really important minutes and his role is important for us. He just has to stay with it. We all believe in him, we all know his importance. And as we figure things out, his minutes will likely be more consistent.”
There’s more from Miami:
- In light of Jimmy Butler‘s latest suspension, Shams Charania of ESPN describes the situation with the volatile forward as “untenable” (Twitter video link). He adds that Heat coaches and players view the standoff as “a distraction” and “chaos,” and some cite a lack of clarity in the organization.
- Among the reasons for Butler’s first suspension was a perceived lack of effort, and Bobby Marks of ESPN offers several statistics to back that up (Twitter link). Among the highlights, Butler attempted fewer than 10 field goals in four of his last five games, and he moved at a “fast speed” – as defined by Second Spectrum – just 5% of the time in Tuesday’s game vs. Portland.
- Adebayo has helped to keep the team’s younger players focused on business rather than the daily news about Butler, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. “They’re handling it as professionally as they should,” Adebayo said. “I’m really emphasizing to the young guys to really be professional in this league. But, like I said before, we still have to play games.”
- Jaime Jaquez filled in well as Butler’s replacement in the starting lineup during his first suspension, but he was back in a reserve role once Butler returned, Winderman adds. The second-year forward has already learned how to handle such adjustments. “What I realize is that is part of the NBA,” Jaquez said. “And you’ve just got to be ready for what comes. And I think, myself, I’m starting to grow and realize just be ready for anything, not have any expectations, just go out here and be ready to hoop.”
- The Heat struggled to create good scoring opportunities on Tuesday as Tyler Herro missed his first game of the season, Winderman observes in a separate story. Herro is dealing with groin soreness, but he’s listed as probable for Thursday’s game at Milwaukee.