Heat’s Highsmith trying to ‘control what I can control’ after moving to bench. Also, a Herro update

As the Miami Heat turned to the double-big frontcourt of Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware to start Tuesday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Heat turned away from forward Haywood Highsmith.

With the Heat starting the frontcourt of Adebayo and Ware for the first time in Tuesday’s 116-107 loss to the Trail Blazers at Kaseya Center, Highsmith was moved to a bench role after starting in 32 of the previous 33 games. Highsmith, who entered that contest averaging 25 minutes per game this season, logged just four minutes in his new bench role on Tuesday.

“Just control what I can control,” Highsmith, 28, said after playing limited minutes against the Trail Blazers. “It’s a long season. I know there are going to be ups and downs. I’m used to it, for sure.”

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Highsmith received two DNP-CDs (did not play, coach’s decision) in the Heat’s first four games and has logged single-digit minutes in five games this season, as his minutes have fluctuated despite being used in a starting role for most of the schedule.

But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made clear Tuesday that Highsmith remains an important member of the roster even after taking him out of the starting lineup and then playing him sparingly against the Trail Blazers.

“We definitely have a need for him,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat now on the road to begin a two-game trip on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum (7:30 p.m., TNT). “So I actually talked to him about it, that sometimes when things are fluid and they’re moving fast, sometimes things happen and it’s not at all an indictment or an indication of how you’re playing. He’s an example of that.

“He’s had really important minutes and his role is important for us. He just has to stay with it. We all believe in him, we all know his importance. And as we figure things out, his minutes will likely be more consistent.”

As one of the Heat’s best point-of-attack defenders, Highsmith’s main responsibility is usually to defend the opponent’s top perimeter scorer. Highsmith’s 6-foot-5 frame paired with his 7-foot wingspan gives him the versatility and length to effectively guard most positions on the court.

Already this season, the Heat has trusted Highsmith to use him as the primary defender on some of the league’s top scorers like Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Atlanta’s Trae Young, Boston Jayson Tatum, Los Angeles’ James Harden, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards. Highsmith is averaging a career-high one steal per game this season.

Highsmith, who re-signed with the Heat on a two-year contract worth $10.8 million this past summer, is also shooting a career-best 41.5 percent from three-point range on a career-high 3.1 three-point attempts per game this season.

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“That’s the task, that’s the job,” Spoelstra said of Highsmith’s duties as a go-to defender. “Some people say that that’s not an easy job. You have to be ready, you have to always guard the other team’s best players. You don’t know whether you’re going to start or whether you’re going to come off the bench. And then as soon as you go in there, everybody is looking at the player you’re guarding.

“So those responsibilities and the expectations are tenfold. But that’s the job and there are a lot of people who would love to have that job. Haywood is one of them. The model that we’ve always kind of built for him is the P.J. Tucker role. He can carve out a great career and a great role doing those kinds of things — the dirty work, sorta say. He’s embraced all that.”

Spoelstra reminded Highsmith of his value to the team before moving him to a bench role on Tuesday.

“He was just saying my role is the same whether I’m starting or coming off the bench,” Highsmith said of his conversation with Spoelstra, “and they need what I bring to the game — defense and just bringing that energy and doing the little things.”

NEW STARTING FRONTCOURT

While Highsmith played off the bench on Tuesday for just the eighth time this season, Ware made his first career NBA start.

Ware finished Tuesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers with 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field, 2-of-6 shooting on threes and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, 15 rebounds and two blocks in 39 minutes. The rebounds and minutes represented new career highs for the 20-year-old rookie.

“The rebounding, he did some really good things defensively at the rim,” Spoelstra said of Ware’s performance. “He’ll continue to get better, when to go, when not to go, when to wall up if a guy catches it in the paint. Those things, he’ll get better. But the upside, obviously, is very encouraging. That’s why he’s in the starting lineup right now because frankly we need to get him in there for more minutes, whether it was off the bench or starting. This is an easier way to make that happen.”

Starting Ware on Tuesday also gave him an opportunity to play extended minutes alongside Adebayo for just the second game this season, as both of those opportunities came in the Heat’s last two games.

With Adebayo playing as a starter and Ware still playing as a reserve in Sunday’s home win over the San Antonio Spurs, the Heat dominated the Spurs 36-13 during the 13 minutes that Adebayo and Ware played together.

So, Spoelstra stuck with it and started Tuesday’s game against the Trail Blazers with the double-big pairing on the court.

Before this two-game stretch, Adebayo and Ware had only played one minute together this season.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Adebayo said of Spoelstra’s decision to start Ware alongside him. “Spo is one of those guys, once he sees something working, he just goes for it and that’s what we’re going to do. We’ll figure it out.”

Their minutes weren’t positive on Tuesday, though, as the Heat was outscored by five points in the 13 minutes that Adebayo and Ware played together against the Trail Blazers.

“He’s one of the young guys that really wants to soak in information and learn,” Adebayo said of Ware. “So for us and me, it’s just bringing him along and helping him figure it out because as you all can see, he’s a talent in this league. And I feel like he’ll be around for a long time.”

INJURY REPORT AND GAME UPDATE

Heat guard Tyler Herro is listed as probable after sitting out Tuesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers because of right groin tightness. It marked the first game that Herro has missed this season.

The Heat also listed Keshad Johnson (left shoulder inflammation) and Isaiah Stevens (G League) as questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Bucks. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler (team suspension), Josh Richardson (right heel inflammation) and Dru Smith (left Achilles surgery) have been ruled out.

For the Bucks, the NBA postponed their Wednesday matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center “due to extreme weather conditions in the New Orleans area.”

According to ESPN’s Marc Spears, the Heat’s nationally televised game against the Bucks in Milwaukee on Thursday is also in jeopardy of being rescheduled because the Bucks are having trouble flying out of New Orleans due to the snow in the area.