Miami Heat’s Kevin Love, a prominent big man, had previously started three games for the team in the current season. However, in a recent In-Season Tournament game against the Washington Wizards, the Heat made an unexpected decision. They chose to start Haywood Highsmith instead of Love, who not only didn’t begin the game but also didn’t see any playing time. In contrast, Highsmith played for 22 minutes and contributed eight points, showcasing his shooting prowess with a 2-of-3 performance from beyond the 3-point line in a victory for the Heat.
Kevin Love shared his thoughts on being benched for Highsmith. Love, a 35-year-old player, had been a valuable 3-point shooter for the Heat during their remarkable journey to the NBA Finals the previous season. He displayed an impressive 37.5 percent accuracy from beyond the arc on an average of 4.4 attempts per game across 20 playoff appearances with the Heat. Love’s sharpshooting was particularly evident during the playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, who held the top seed in the Eastern Conference. In that series, Love averaged 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, hitting 43.3 percent of his 3-point shots.
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Miami’s victory over the Bucks in five games during the 2023 playoffs was considered a significant upset. As a reward for his solid playoff performance, the Heat offered Love a two-year contract extension during the offseason.
“I think the word is ‘fluid,’” Love said. “There’s going to be opportunity, places for me throughout the season where it makes sense, big. It’s just that so many teams are playing four smalls and one bigs, so I think you’re seeing that a lot.
“I think we were searching. Obviously 1-4 is never the way you want to start, but it’s on all of us to be pros, and our number’s called, be ready to go.”
In the current season, Love has made three appearances for Miami and is averaging 8.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. However, his field goal shooting stands at 36.4 percent, which is less than ideal. In contrast, Highsmith, in his two games with the Heat, is averaging 8.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game, while showcasing an impressive 66.7 percent field goal shooting efficiency.
Despite his reduced playing time and benching, Love deserves credit for handling the situation with maturity. While Love’s role on the Miami team might be sporadic throughout the season, head coach Erik Spoelstra can still count on him to provide valuable shooting when needed.