In his second stint with the Miami Heat in 11 seasons, what does Dorell Wright bring this go-around?
Sharpshooter and former fan-favorite Dorell Wright is taking his talents back to South Beach.
A seasoned 11-year veteran, Wright was drafted by the Miami Heat with the 19th overall pick in the 2004 draft, and he would go on to spend the first six seasons in black and red (winning a championship in 2006), before short stints with Golden State, Philadelphia and Portland. Wright averaged 6.3 points and shot 34% from beyond the arc in his first stint in Miami, and Dwyane Wade and company will be looking for more of the same this time around.
First thing’s first, this was not a “splash” signing by any means. Wright isn’t going to come off the bench and light up the scoreboard, win Sixth Man of the Year or anything of that caliber, but he will be eligible for the playoffs.
He is a career 36% 3-point shooter and led the league in 3-pointers made in 2010-11 with 194. Funny how far the deep ball has come since then, huh? Floor-spacing has been an area the Heat have struggled with this season and, while he’s not Stephen Curry or Ray Allen, Wright definitely brings firepower to the table in that regard.
Did I mention he’s a fan favorite? Wright is popular among the team’s inner-circle, as shown by this particular tweet sent out by Dwyane Wade when the news of his signing broke:
It's official... Welcome back home Lil bro @DWRIGHTWAY1
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) April 12, 2016
While his impact may not be felt quickly, Wright definitely brings more than just a smooth-looking jumper to this Heat squad. He is a proven veteran with quality playoff experience, something that Erik Spoelstra can look to as Miami gears up for what they hope will be a long playoff run.
While experience comes in bunches with players such as Wade, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, Luol Deng, Joe Johnson and Amar’e Stoudemire, it never hurts to add a player that has a ring on his finger. Expect plenty of bench pep-talks for rookies Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, and even Gerald Green, which brings me to my next point.
Green signed with Miami this past offseason, a move they received praise for, and rightfully so. A tall, long, athletic wing, he was a potentially explosive sixth man. But Green has disappointed.
His averages of 9.1 points and 2.4 rebounds off the bench seem all well and dandy, but Green is shooting just 39% from the field and 32% from 3-point range, both his lowest outputs since the 2012-13 season. Needless to say, if his competitive fire remains, Wright should provide some good competition and motivation for Green, who at times this year has seemed to have lost his way.
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Overall, it’s a solid addition with little risk. Wright will not be asked for too much or too little. He’ll be ready if called upon, and he might be able to help out with Winslow’s jumper as well.