Chris Andersen wants to add jump shot to his game

Perhaps among the best free agent signings in Miami Heat history was that of Chris Andersen mid-way through the 2012-13 season. The “Birdman” added a toughness to a team that needed it, like how the 1980’s desperately needed Metallica.

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He’s been through his ups and downs. You know his story by now. But at 36-years-old, Andersen has no plans on quitting anytime soon.

To help prolong his career, Andersen wants to lessen the impact on his body by stepping away from the post and expanding his perimeter game.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Shandel Richardson, the Heat feel they can use his shooting if it improves.

"“To step out and have that confidence to shoot the 15-footer, a lot of people haven’t seen it or don’t expect it,” Andersen said. “This year, [coach Erik Spoelstra] says he’s going to implement it into the game plan. I look forward to getting that opportunity.”For the past three weeks, Andersen has shot about 500 jumpers a day. He picked up the blueprint from former Heat guard Ray Allen, who often attempted twice that amount on a daily basis."

Even if this does happen, don’t expect a drastic change to Andersen’s game. His identity is still that of a low-post, gritty player. But stepping out a bit and trying to sink a 15-footer as opposed to banging bodies to get the ball up from under the rim for a few plays a game will certainly make a difference throughout an 82-game season. Not to mention it will also fit into Miami’s pace-and-space scheme.

But even stepping out a bit would be a noticeable shift. Over his career, Andersen has shot nearly 70 percent of all his attempts from within three feet of the basket while attempting just 7.4 percent of his shots from 10-to-16 feet, according to basketball-reference.com.

The difference is even more dramatic the last two seasons with the Heat, when they needed him to play a specific role–attempting 80.5 percent and 78.9 percent of his shots from within three feet in his two years in Miami, compared to just less the one percent (12-13 season) and 1.8 percent (13-14) of his shots coming from 10-to-16 feet. Chances are, you can count all his 15-footers though those two years on one hand.

There is a reason Andersen doesn’t attempt that shot often. He shoots it at a 29 percent clip for his career. It will take a lot of practice for that shot to be a viable option for the Birdman, but I’m not going to be the one to tell him he can’t do it.