The Phoenix Suns did not make many additions this season, but the ones they did have have been impactful. Both Amir Coffey and Jamaree Bouyea, who were brought in from the Milwaukee Bucks at two different spots in the season, have cracked the rotation already. That just left Haywood Highsmith, the buyout addition the Suns made that shocked everyone, since there was no prior linkage to him.
Well, Highsmith got his first real minutes for the team yesterday in their huge win over the Charlotte Hornets,
making an impact on both ends. I say real minutes, as the wing was thrown in for the last seconds of the previous contest against the New Orleans Pelicans, but I am not counting that.
Many may ask why it took so long for Highsmith to get in, given that he was cleared last week. I hypothesize that he was acclimating to the team and learning his role, but was also still recovering. Shane Young, who covers the team for the Suns, reported that when Booker was out, it would be one week to be re-evaluated and that Highsmith was going to be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks.
Yet we saw both of them come off the injury report at the same time? Highsmith still had some rehabbing to do and just needed to catch up to game speed; that’s why he was out an extra week, not that Ott forgot he was there.
In this game, Highsmith played 21 minutes and posted 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. The impact was evident on the defensive side of the ball for this team, as they held the best offense in 2026 at times. Highsmith was used as a connector for this team, helping out and doing all the dirty work, like the guys in Coffey and Gillespie have been doing all season.
Just from this first clip of Shane, you can see the presence he brings as he steps onto the screen, coming from Ryan Klakbrenner. This forces Coby White into a bad pass, and with the help of Khaman Malauch to close out on him, they get a steal. Disruptive plays like this will keep Highsmith on the court, and his long wingspan will aid the team’s defensive effort.
The doubling in this game was a big part of their win, with many others helping and forcing turnovers. The Suns forced the Hornets to turn the ball over 11 times, which was more than double their turnovers of 6.
Then you look at the offense, and yes, he may have shot a bit inconsistently, but that is not what he is here for. One thing I enjoyed seeing was his selflessness on that end, though. Even with it being his debut and wanting to show out, with the struggles, he did not force anything bad. In fact, he created two beautiful plays for the rookie Rasheer Fleming, who has also been soaring as of late.
In the first clip, you see him cut to the basket and see a wide-open Fleming in the corner when Sion James goes over to help. His finding Fleming for this wide-open bucket is just key to him continuing to get minutes in this system by making the right play.
In the second clip, he does the same thing, just driving to the basket and trying to draw attention. With the Hornets out of position and Kalkbrenner on Fleming, he attacks the basket, allowing Fleming to be open again. The rookie then rewards the veteran for his pass with some points for the team and to push the lead.
Just these small things go a long way, and with Highsmith already plugging them in immediately, it is such a breath of fresh air to see. With this team having such a deep roster, this is an issue they would rather have than not enough guys as they gear up for a postseason run. One that fans are excited about, with this new change in identity and culture really taking shape under Jordan Ott’s command!
