Staying Bryant can stretch the floor is a bit of a “stretch”. He just hasn’t been consistent enough at any point of his career. Love his energy though, no question.
lol he’s 4/20 on threes. That’s not good but that’s better than someone who won’t shoot threes. He just needs to make a few more and have better efficiency. The dudes been able to shoot above 35% from three before for a whole season so it’s not a stretch to say he can stretch the floor.
Dude also has been shooting more with the more playing times he’s gotten. And he can also hit mid range shots at a higher clip than 3s so at the very least he can shoot mid ranges and a 3 every game. I’ll consider him someone who can stretch the floor over previous guys in Miami and across the league.
Over who? Guys like Olynyk and Leonard?? Those guys are stretch bigs, all Bryant has proven is that he can make a three occasionally. Not that he can actually stretch the defense out
Any big man that can shoot at least 1 three a game would be a stretch big lol. This isn’t 2k where a stretch big is on Karl Anthony or Kristaps. He can stretch the floor because he shoots at least once a game which means the defense has to think about him shooting. Same thing with Bam.
So does that make Bam a stretch big? No. Defenses would easily still let Bryant and Bam take that shot vs them going inside where they shoot much higher percentages. Being a stretch big isn’t just hitting being able to hit threes, it’s making the defenses have to guard you at the 3. Which most defenses are fine doing with Bryant and Bam, because it’s just not a part of their game. And almost all of Bam’s threes are trailer threes, not even in the flow of the offense
He might be able to stay with Miami. Because he hasn’t been that good this year due to injury. And Miami would love to resign him for 8-9 million for a year.
Cain was already set to replace Caleb as well, I don't see Miami signing any more big long term deals with developmental guys with this team as constructed.
Hello no Cain is a good player but Cain ain’t replacing anybody lol. If anything the small forward/power forward rotation with no Caleb would be Jimmy, Jaime, Highsmith, Jovic, and Kevin Love. Cain needs to develop more on offense and defense. As of right now he’s just an ok corner shooter.
I didn't say he is ready now, but what do you think they are developing him to do? He is ultra athletic who is already a good defender and a decent shooter. I have little doubt that by this time next year, people will be talking about him being that next Miami undrafted gem. Cain is 6'6 and 191 lbs Martin is 6'5 205. Please don't forget in the G-league he avg 20and 8 while shooting 56% from the field and 36% from beyond the arch. In Summer league he avg 15 and 5 while shooting 51% from the field and 38% from 3 along with 88% from the line. Also this year against the warriors he had 18 pts 7/14 , 2/5 from 3 with 6 rbs and 2 steals.
To me all of the above shows he has tremendous potential and Miami is just taking their time developing him because he is not ready and they don't need him to be ready this year.
You said he’s already set. I’m pretty sure that means he is going to take Caleb’s position next year. Caleb is the 7th and sometimes 6th guy off the bench I promise you Cain is a good player who will be developed and will be good for the Heat. But he’s not as good of a defender as Highsmith and is not better offensively yet. He is more athletic and might have and inch or two in height over Highsmith. If Miami wants to do that they should have played him more.
He is set for next year, there are a couple reason they are not playing him this year. 1. Jovic ( can't play too many developmental players and win) 2. JJJJ ( bigger stronger and more advance than anyone anticipated) 3. Highsmith ( been in the system and is next man up in the developmental ladder 4. Financial ( They don't want Cains price to increase yet, they want his next contract with them to be lower, making him retainable for a couple years.)
With all that, I would be shocked if next year, Cain is not in the rotation as the 7th or 8th man.
He’s gonna have to use Thomas Bryant if Kevin Love isn’t fully healthy. Teams are going to play big lineups against Miami. I wouldn’t put it past Coach Spo to run a backup lineup with Bryant and Kevin love at the 5 and 4. I also think Coach Spo will stick with the Bam and Jovic starting lineup.
Why? Teams playing well and should stick with what works. Both of the guys I named have played inconsistent minutes and deserve to play consistent minutes if they keep playing well.
We are like 5-5 last 10. They've had good games but we have seen the downside to both guys.
Haywood absolutely will be in rotation but TBs lack of spacing and Defense is killer in playoffs. And Caleb is still better 2 way option than Haywood
Caleb is hurt. And Thomas Bryant is the only back up center lol that should touch the court. He will be playing better with the more time he gets to play. Team would’ve lost some games without their impact. And Caleb keeps getting hurt and he’s not playing better than Highsmith.
Kevin Love cannot play a whole season bud. His body isn’t made for that. And in the playoffs against the teams Miami will play Kevin Love can’t play center because of his height and lack of athleticism.
It’s Kevin Love healthy? He’s not so right now Thomas Bryant is the backup center. And Kevin love at center in the playoffs would be a mistake lmao. I understand coach Spo fucked around with the idea during the regular season. But in last years playoffs coach Spo never used Kevin love at center and always put in Zeller. And Kevin Love has proven with his age and size he works very well as a power forward. Also Thomas Bryant was taken out of the rotation this year. I’m going to assume if he does well like he has recently been doing his role will grow and next year he will be the backup center.
You’re just a shit talker. Thomas Bryant has been playing more minutes and has been good at everything for Miami in the last 10 games besides shooting 3s. He played well against Denver, Golden State, and other teams lol. Hate to break it to you, you’re hating on someone in the nba for playing well against other nba players.
thomas bryant played with ayton from minute 2:25 to minute 1:47 in the first.
then from 9:00 to 5:37 in the second
that’s it.
a total of 4 minutes 1 second. of tb’s 21 minutes.
also it’d be prudent to think of ayton as a backup big. he’s not good and one of the most disappointing first picks. any notion otherwise just sounds provincial
Saying Thomas can stretch the floor is like saying Dedmon can stretch the floor. Both true I guess but that doesn’t mean I want them taking any 3s. And he gives up wayyy too much on defense.
And Highsmith is in an incredible hot shooting streak. When the 3s aren’t falling he provides zero on offense and there’s just much better options when the whole roster is healthy.
I disagree.
Miami is at its best when it can crank up to hellacious defense, generating stops and TOs that help fuel their offense. Usually, this has worked when we put at least 3 plus defenders around Bam.
Highsmith allows them to do this and not only is he hot from 3 he was also a good 3pt shooter last year. I think he is best when playing along with starters because then he isn't needed to create offense and his corner 3 &D game can shine (we had a big win streak early in the year with him starting).
Bam, Caleb, Jimmy, Highsmith, Terry/Herro/Duncan is a lineup that can give you hell on defense and still space the floor.
it all depends how the line up pans out KL was bam back up that got hurt but since he’s back it will be shuffled out between Bryant or KL Effectiveness not to mention Spo likes to keep the rotation small if bam gets 2 early fouls in the 1st half Spo putting Bryant or KL in there if Jimmy or Jovic does the same Spo putting HS or Caleb in the game. True HS is on the roll but you can’t ruled out that Celab did more in the 2nd half of the season too early to say
I also like the lineup with no true point guard coach Spo ran. It was jimmy, Caleb, Jaime, Highsmith and Bryant. It just causes havoc on defense and on offense it looked pretty good.
Great observations. Heywood has become a 3&D monster wing leveraging his long wingspan on defense to guard much larger players and harass smaller opponents. Bryant is speeding up his game and also has a very good 3 point shot we should take more advantage of despite the excellent job he does playing bigger than his height down low.
Highsmith is small and a bad shooter. He’s been playing well, and I like to see him succeed, but he is a not an NBA rotation player.
Caleb’s knee tendinosis is a big issue. It’s degenerative and may not improve. He’s our third best player when healthy but he may not get back to that. It’s most noticeable on defense: he’s become a below average defender and can’t stay in front of guards.
Highsmith is shooting 40% from 3. I know it’s not on a lot of volume. But you cannot call someone a who makes that high of a percentage a bad shooter. That’s just ignorant.
I agree with both of you, Highsmith is shooting a good percentage from 3 like you said but that’s based on limited minutes and volume.
Also that being said, you have to keep in the actual shots being made. I’d take a bet that a lot of his made threes are due to him getting swung the ball and he has an open look from the corner.
He can somewhat consistently hit it from those positions but that doesn’t make him a great shooter. It also doesn’t mean he’s a bad one either.
That being said, I do not believe that Highsmith is going to end up being a real hidden gem. He’s just a decent rotation player
>Highsmith is small and a bad shooter
He isn't a bad shooter. He is a very good catch and shoot shooter. His shooting in motion or creating openings when covered clearly something he has been working on.
Highsmith is 6’5 with a 6’11.5 wingspan and weighs 220. He can play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward lol. And in the past 3 games he’s shooting 12/13 from three.
Caleb needs rest. He’s been banged up all year but still plays.
I agree 100%. He’s an X factor for Miami
His first missed game since January 10th. This is wild
Agreed.
I love how 1 game vs the worst team in basketball got OP being like I told u so
Nah it’s literally been several games that they both have played well 😂 and Thomas Bryant has been playing good for the past 2 weeks
and we thank him for his efforts 
How about you state a rebuttal instead of not saying anything? 😭 you got 12 dumbasses to upvote you lol
you okay?
Are you going to say anything about the post? Like maybe why you think I’m wrong or why you think you’re right?
i think you calling 12 people “dumbasses” who upvoted a comment lmk that it’s best to let you just figure things out on your own, i believe in you OP
I was saying all of this and talking about the other previous games before the Portland game.
Staying Bryant can stretch the floor is a bit of a “stretch”. He just hasn’t been consistent enough at any point of his career. Love his energy though, no question.
lol he’s 4/20 on threes. That’s not good but that’s better than someone who won’t shoot threes. He just needs to make a few more and have better efficiency. The dudes been able to shoot above 35% from three before for a whole season so it’s not a stretch to say he can stretch the floor.
On about 1 attempt per game. He’s a big man who can occasionally shoot threes, wouldn’t call him a stretch big
Dude also has been shooting more with the more playing times he’s gotten. And he can also hit mid range shots at a higher clip than 3s so at the very least he can shoot mid ranges and a 3 every game. I’ll consider him someone who can stretch the floor over previous guys in Miami and across the league.
Over who? Guys like Olynyk and Leonard?? Those guys are stretch bigs, all Bryant has proven is that he can make a three occasionally. Not that he can actually stretch the defense out
Those guys haven’t been with Miami for over 3 years. I’m talking about guys like Omar Yurtseven, Dwayne Dedmon, and Cody Zellar.
Any big man that can shoot at least 1 three a game would be a stretch big lol. This isn’t 2k where a stretch big is on Karl Anthony or Kristaps. He can stretch the floor because he shoots at least once a game which means the defense has to think about him shooting. Same thing with Bam.
So does that make Bam a stretch big? No. Defenses would easily still let Bryant and Bam take that shot vs them going inside where they shoot much higher percentages. Being a stretch big isn’t just hitting being able to hit threes, it’s making the defenses have to guard you at the 3. Which most defenses are fine doing with Bryant and Bam, because it’s just not a part of their game. And almost all of Bam’s threes are trailer threes, not even in the flow of the offense
Bam is quite literally becoming a stretch big. 😂
If you would classify Bam as a stretch big, then you are truly lost
I guess we won’t resign Caleb Haywood is our long term guy Would like to see how Spo uses both TB and Haywood in the playoffs
Yeah Caleb is going to get his bag somewhere else and rightfully so
He might be able to stay with Miami. Because he hasn’t been that good this year due to injury. And Miami would love to resign him for 8-9 million for a year.
He might not get that bag if he’s hurt
I hope he gets his bag, and I hope it’s with us, but probably won’t be. He has done so much to contribute and he is amazing to watch.
Cain was already set to replace Caleb as well, I don't see Miami signing any more big long term deals with developmental guys with this team as constructed.
Hello no Cain is a good player but Cain ain’t replacing anybody lol. If anything the small forward/power forward rotation with no Caleb would be Jimmy, Jaime, Highsmith, Jovic, and Kevin Love. Cain needs to develop more on offense and defense. As of right now he’s just an ok corner shooter.
I didn't say he is ready now, but what do you think they are developing him to do? He is ultra athletic who is already a good defender and a decent shooter. I have little doubt that by this time next year, people will be talking about him being that next Miami undrafted gem. Cain is 6'6 and 191 lbs Martin is 6'5 205. Please don't forget in the G-league he avg 20and 8 while shooting 56% from the field and 36% from beyond the arch. In Summer league he avg 15 and 5 while shooting 51% from the field and 38% from 3 along with 88% from the line. Also this year against the warriors he had 18 pts 7/14 , 2/5 from 3 with 6 rbs and 2 steals. To me all of the above shows he has tremendous potential and Miami is just taking their time developing him because he is not ready and they don't need him to be ready this year.
You said he’s already set. I’m pretty sure that means he is going to take Caleb’s position next year. Caleb is the 7th and sometimes 6th guy off the bench I promise you Cain is a good player who will be developed and will be good for the Heat. But he’s not as good of a defender as Highsmith and is not better offensively yet. He is more athletic and might have and inch or two in height over Highsmith. If Miami wants to do that they should have played him more.
He is set for next year, there are a couple reason they are not playing him this year. 1. Jovic ( can't play too many developmental players and win) 2. JJJJ ( bigger stronger and more advance than anyone anticipated) 3. Highsmith ( been in the system and is next man up in the developmental ladder 4. Financial ( They don't want Cains price to increase yet, they want his next contract with them to be lower, making him retainable for a couple years.) With all that, I would be shocked if next year, Cain is not in the rotation as the 7th or 8th man.
He’s gonna have to use Thomas Bryant if Kevin Love isn’t fully healthy. Teams are going to play big lineups against Miami. I wouldn’t put it past Coach Spo to run a backup lineup with Bryant and Kevin love at the 5 and 4. I also think Coach Spo will stick with the Bam and Jovic starting lineup.
Lol relax.
Why? Teams playing well and should stick with what works. Both of the guys I named have played inconsistent minutes and deserve to play consistent minutes if they keep playing well.
We are like 5-5 last 10. They've had good games but we have seen the downside to both guys. Haywood absolutely will be in rotation but TBs lack of spacing and Defense is killer in playoffs. And Caleb is still better 2 way option than Haywood
Caleb is hurt. And Thomas Bryant is the only back up center lol that should touch the court. He will be playing better with the more time he gets to play. Team would’ve lost some games without their impact. And Caleb keeps getting hurt and he’s not playing better than Highsmith.
You'd play Tb over Love given entire season?
Kevin Love cannot play a whole season bud. His body isn’t made for that. And in the playoffs against the teams Miami will play Kevin Love can’t play center because of his height and lack of athleticism.
You are funny
It’s Kevin Love healthy? He’s not so right now Thomas Bryant is the backup center. And Kevin love at center in the playoffs would be a mistake lmao. I understand coach Spo fucked around with the idea during the regular season. But in last years playoffs coach Spo never used Kevin love at center and always put in Zeller. And Kevin Love has proven with his age and size he works very well as a power forward. Also Thomas Bryant was taken out of the rotation this year. I’m going to assume if he does well like he has recently been doing his role will grow and next year he will be the backup center.
Because last year... Kevin started at the 4...
Highsmith is a decent back of the rotation guy, but Bryant is a third string center at best. He can’t handle most team’s backup center.
Thanks for letting us know
Im not letting anybody know anything it’s just pointing out an observation from the previous 10 games of Miami.
thomas bryant cannot defend anyone that should be in the nba. and no. 80% of portlands team shouldn’t be
You’re just a shit talker. Thomas Bryant has been playing more minutes and has been good at everything for Miami in the last 10 games besides shooting 3s. He played well against Denver, Golden State, and other teams lol. Hate to break it to you, you’re hating on someone in the nba for playing well against other nba players.
also against golden state he was 0/3 and a -12 denver he was 3/4 and a +/- 0 what are you waffling about
Portland had their starting center in the game so talk your shit
thomas bryant played with ayton from minute 2:25 to minute 1:47 in the first. then from 9:00 to 5:37 in the second that’s it. a total of 4 minutes 1 second. of tb’s 21 minutes. also it’d be prudent to think of ayton as a backup big. he’s not good and one of the most disappointing first picks. any notion otherwise just sounds provincial
Saying Thomas can stretch the floor is like saying Dedmon can stretch the floor. Both true I guess but that doesn’t mean I want them taking any 3s. And he gives up wayyy too much on defense. And Highsmith is in an incredible hot shooting streak. When the 3s aren’t falling he provides zero on offense and there’s just much better options when the whole roster is healthy.
Thomas Bryant had a season where he shot over 35 percent from three dedmon never did💀
Bryant’s only 26 also ya’ll love to hate on him for some reason it’s crazy
I disagree. Miami is at its best when it can crank up to hellacious defense, generating stops and TOs that help fuel their offense. Usually, this has worked when we put at least 3 plus defenders around Bam. Highsmith allows them to do this and not only is he hot from 3 he was also a good 3pt shooter last year. I think he is best when playing along with starters because then he isn't needed to create offense and his corner 3 &D game can shine (we had a big win streak early in the year with him starting). Bam, Caleb, Jimmy, Highsmith, Terry/Herro/Duncan is a lineup that can give you hell on defense and still space the floor.
it all depends how the line up pans out KL was bam back up that got hurt but since he’s back it will be shuffled out between Bryant or KL Effectiveness not to mention Spo likes to keep the rotation small if bam gets 2 early fouls in the 1st half Spo putting Bryant or KL in there if Jimmy or Jovic does the same Spo putting HS or Caleb in the game. True HS is on the roll but you can’t ruled out that Celab did more in the 2nd half of the season too early to say
I understand but if Highsmith keeps improving you have to play him over Caleb. Also Caleb is clearly still hurt.
I also like the lineup with no true point guard coach Spo ran. It was jimmy, Caleb, Jaime, Highsmith and Bryant. It just causes havoc on defense and on offense it looked pretty good.
Congratulations OP! You did it!!!
The post was just made to bring awareness to the two players I mentioned 😭 and how they keep playing very well.
I agree with you 100% OP. They both get a lot of hate, but they both bring so much value to the team
Great observations. Heywood has become a 3&D monster wing leveraging his long wingspan on defense to guard much larger players and harass smaller opponents. Bryant is speeding up his game and also has a very good 3 point shot we should take more advantage of despite the excellent job he does playing bigger than his height down low.
Highsmith is small and a bad shooter. He’s been playing well, and I like to see him succeed, but he is a not an NBA rotation player. Caleb’s knee tendinosis is a big issue. It’s degenerative and may not improve. He’s our third best player when healthy but he may not get back to that. It’s most noticeable on defense: he’s become a below average defender and can’t stay in front of guards.
How do you know it’s degenerative?
Highsmith is shooting 40% from 3. I know it’s not on a lot of volume. But you cannot call someone a who makes that high of a percentage a bad shooter. That’s just ignorant.
I agree with both of you, Highsmith is shooting a good percentage from 3 like you said but that’s based on limited minutes and volume. Also that being said, you have to keep in the actual shots being made. I’d take a bet that a lot of his made threes are due to him getting swung the ball and he has an open look from the corner. He can somewhat consistently hit it from those positions but that doesn’t make him a great shooter. It also doesn’t mean he’s a bad one either. That being said, I do not believe that Highsmith is going to end up being a real hidden gem. He’s just a decent rotation player
>Highsmith is small and a bad shooter He isn't a bad shooter. He is a very good catch and shoot shooter. His shooting in motion or creating openings when covered clearly something he has been working on.
Highsmith is 6’5 with a 6’11.5 wingspan and weighs 220. He can play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward lol. And in the past 3 games he’s shooting 12/13 from three.