Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Guard Praised As Unsung Hero of Team's Success

Sean Jordan

Dec 8, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The Miami Heat bench (L-R) Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11), guard Dru Smith (12), forward Haywood Highsmith (24), forward Duncan Robinson (55) and Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson celebrate against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The Miami Heat bench (L-R) Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11), guard Dru Smith (12), forward Haywood Highsmith (24), forward Duncan Robinson (55) and Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson celebrate against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
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The Miami Heat are having a solid season thus far.

They sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Players like Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are receiving praise for their play through the young season, but a rotation player has quietly been an unsung hero for the team.

But Dru Smith Jr. has been a integral piece of the rotation this season.

Smith has seen a solid amount of playing time this season with guys like Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson missing some time. In those absences, Smith has helped the team to a 4-1 record when he plays more than 25 minutes a night with a +50 plus/minus.

Smith went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft before joining the Heat for the Summer League that same summer. He was with the organization bouncing around on two-way contracts until joining the Brooklyn Nets on a brief stint in 2023. He would return to the Heat that summer before tearing his ACL in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers last November. He would later re-sign with the organization on a two-way contract this past summer.

In his limited playing time, Smith is averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. The stats speak for themselves and when Smith has time on the court, good results have been happening for the Heat.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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Sean Jordan
SEAN JORDAN