3 players that could step up for the Injury-riddled Miami Heat
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Published 7 hours ago
The Miami Heat are currently reeling from an injury to Tyler Herro, but they do have players on the bench who could step up.
The Miami Heat’s injury-prone roster is a cause for concern, especially with Tyler Herro already out with an ankle sprain.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has shown promise as a potential replacement for Herro, averaging solid numbers and stepping up in recent games.
Haywood Highsmith and Dru Smith are also key bench players who have been performing well and could make a difference for the Heat.
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The Miami Heat are doing fairly well after their first 12 games of the NBA season. Currently sitting third in the Eastern Conference, the Heat are exactly where many have predicted they would be. That being said, basketball is a fickle sport, and anything can happen between now and the end of the season. This is especially true when considering just how injury-prone of a roster the Heat have on their hands.
The team has already suffered a major blow, as their top-scoring guard Tyler Herro has gone down with an ankle sprain. What’s more, their roster isn’t nearly deep enough to accommodate more injuries. The likes of Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Kevin Love aren’t exactly spring chickens anymore. At their age, and given their injury history, they could go down for an extended period of time at any moment. That said, there are still a few players on the roster who could step up if the injury crisis in South Beach escalates.
For years, the Heat has established themselves as an organization that has been able to get the best out of some of their relatively unknown talents. And, there is no reason why this season should be any different. There are a few hidden gems among the Heat’s ranks that could certainly rise to the occasion. But, taking into account a variety of different factors, here are the three players most likely to strut their stuff, now that the injury bug seems to be hovering over the team.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Drafted with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the most obvious choice for a player on the roster to take over with Herro is. Jaquez Jr. is a versatile player capable of playing either one of the one, two, or three spots, standing at 6-foot-6. Coming out of UCLA, he was hailed for his basketball IQ, his size and strength, and his ability to create his own shot or generate looks for his teammates.
As of right now, Jaime is playing around 23.8 minutes per game for the Heat. A decent clip, especially considering he is primarily coming off the bench. In that time, he has been averaging a solid 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. A decent stat line for a first-year player who is looking to make his mark. What’s more, he has been a bright light for the Heat since Herro’s injury. In his last three games, Jaquez Jr. has surpassed the double-digit mark in terms of points, scoring 10 against the Brooklyn Nets, 17 against the Charlotte Hornets, and 11 against the San Antonio Spurs.
That being said, there are still things he needs to improve upon. One of the more glaring problems he has is his efficiency from beyond the arc. Attempting 3.1 three-pointers per game, Jaquez Jr. is only converting 0.9 of them a game, leading to a poor 29.7 percent from three. Ideally, he would get those numbers up to match his field goal percentage of 50 percent. Either way, the stage is set for him to strut his stuff.
With Herro sidelined, Duncan Robinson has been promoted from his role as the sixth man to a starter. So, who has taken up his spot as the team’s primary player off the bench? The answer is fourth-year wing Haywood Highsmith. Highsmith has been a regular on the Heat roster for the past three seasons and is slowly proving to be the next undrafted player on the Heat’s roster to take the next step.
Following in the footsteps of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, Highsmith has quietly been the Heat’s most consistent player off the bench. Primarily working out of the wing spot, he is currently playing 26.0 minutes per game with averages of 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Not exactly Sixth Man of the Year numbers, but his efficiency is what makes him such a key player for the Heat. He is currently on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 31.3 percent shooting from three; a good clip for a player of his caliber.
Donning the No. 24 jersey, the Miami faithful will be hoping that Highsmith performs at a level similar to the player who made that number famous, Kobe Bryant. However, as things stand, Highsmith is quite a ways away from that level. Nevertheless, if he continues to perform and gets an increase in minutes to boot, there is no reason why he can’t exceed expectations.
This pick may come out of left field, especially considering the Heat only just recently converted his two-way contract to a standard contract, but Dru Smith is an undercover shout. Having spent a chunk of his career in the G-League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Smith is one of those players who could unexpectedly deliver for the Heat. During his time with the Skyforce, Smith averaged a solid 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Now, he’ll be looking to bring that form to the NBA.
As things stand, Smith is one of the key bench players for the Heat. He is currently just one of three backup guards Miami has on their roster now that Herro has gone down with an injury. And, to the surprise of many, he has been a serviceable option for the team. Currently averaging 5.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, Dru has been making good use of his 18.1 minutes per game. He has played seven games for the Heat and has been solid in all seven of those appearances.
He is efficient in the field, and at the age of 25, could be another success story for Miami. Hopefully, he makes use of these extended minutes he is getting with the team.
Either one of these three role players could make a difference to the injury-riddled Heat. However, which one of them will rise to the occasion is yet to be seen.
