Haywood Highsmith may see consistent minutes throughout the NBA Finals after scoring 18 points in the series opener, writes Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra played Highsmith more than 23 minutes off the bench in Game 1 and trusted him to share the responsibility of guarding Jamal Murray.
Earning playing time hasn’t been easy for the third-year swingman, who was barely used for most of the Eastern Conference Finals. He had a breakthrough performance when he scored 15 points in 36 minutes in Game 5 against Boston.
The 26-year-old has taken an unconventional road to the NBA Finals, playing at a Division II college and then being waived three times by the Sixers. Miami gave him an opportunity with a 10-day contract last season and he earned two more of those short contracts before signing a three-year deal. He takes pride in being one of seven undrafted players on the team’s roster.
“(The Heat) see something in us that nobody else saw in us as undrafted guys, kind of like hidden gems,” Highsmith said. “They believe in us, and they do a great job with developing us and taking us up under their wing and just making us be the best players we can be.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Tyler Herro has been declared out for Game 2, but that doesn’t mean it’s certain that he will sit, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson states that NBA rules allow teams to change the status of injured players, meaning Herro could be activated before Sunday night if he continues to make progress in his recovery from hand surgery. Caleb Martin is listed as questionable with an illness that the team describes as a head issue and Cody Zeller is questionable with a sprained right foot.
- Jimmy Butler has not lost faith in Martin or Max Strus, who combined to shoot 1-of-17 in Game 1, Jackson notes. Butler said he will still set them up for the same shots and Strus remarked that he’s eager to put his scoreless night behind him. “You can’t dwell on it,” he said. “Luckily, it was only Game 1 so we got more to play. But I’m ready. I wanted to play right after the game was over.”
- In an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Kevin Love offers his perspective as a relative newcomer to Heat culture after signing with the team in February. “I think it’s definitely a level of focus and professionalism, attention to detail and winning at all costs, that is not always the case (with other teams),” Love said. “Or there’s moments throughout the season (where you have that focus with other teams), but this is all-in for all 82. And then after that, it’s taking it up even another notch. And I’ve felt that, and understood that, and I’ve only been here for three months.”
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