Will Haywood Highsmith get a chance to show something?
Any update on Zhaire/ Fultz?
— Mr. Whatever color isn't offensive (@Trolleroftrolls) January 9, 2019
Will Highsmith get a chance to show us something or will he be a wasted roster spot riding the bench?
Haywood Highsmith got some garbage time run in his first NBA game, hitting a three-point shot and connecting with Jonah Bolden on an exciting lob pass. It was a solid first impression for the former Wheeling Jesuit forward, who now occupies one of the Sixers’ two-way contracts.
The two-way member who predates Highsmith — Demetrius Jackson — was essentially a wasted roster spot. Lacking size, shooting and high-level efficiency, there wasn’t a realistic path toward value for Jackson. That’s not the case with Highsmith.
At 6-foot-7, Highsmith fills a role the Sixers currently need. He’s the ideal 3-and-D wing, hitting spot-up jumpers on one end and defending multiple positions on the other. The bench in general has been a struggle for the Sixers, but defense is the main reason why. They simply lack capable two-way pieces outside the starting rotation.
Highsmith, on paper, offers a solution. He has more size than Shake Milton and was supremely efficient in the G-Leauge. There’s reason to believe, if given the opportunity, Highsmith has the tools to remove Furkan Korkmaz from the rotation.
Whether or not Brett Brown offers that opportunity is a viable and important question, but Highsmith makes a lot of season for the Sixers. He’s a feel-good story with real potential to contribute down the line.