The Miami Heat are a refreshing fit for Wayne Ellington

Memphis and Dallas

Memphis Grizzlies

Over the next four seasons of his career, Ellington played with five different teams. During this period of time, he encountered just two winning situations. The Memphis Grizzlies represented his first contending team.

All-NBA defender Tony Allen and combo-guard Jerryd Bayless would be the main hurdles on his way for playing time. Further, playing on a team that competed in the Western Conference finals meant it was going to be tough to crack the rotation quickly.

His best performance with the Grizzlies was a 26-point performance that included six from seven from the three-point line. Ellington’s reward for this game was playing five minutes the following game.

Clearly, Memphis and head coach Lionel Hollins were not going to provide him consistent playing time. He would be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers after just 40 games.

In his 40 appearances for the Grizzlies, there were just five games where Ellington had nine field goal attempts or more. In those games, he averaged 14.9 points on 55 percent shooting. The above video highlights one of these games, ironically against the Miami Heat.

Dallas Mavericks

The other winning experience was in Dallas. Ellington signed as a free agent with the Mavericks for the 2013-14 season. Although head coach Rick Carlisle was optimistic for his prospects in the pre-season, opportunities again were scarce.

Without doubt, this was the most frustrating playing experience of his career. He would play in just 45 games and average just 8.7 minutes in those games. Monta Ellis, Vince Carter and newcomer Jae Crowder were the main obstacles in his way.

However, Ellington remained the consummate professional during his solo season in Dallas. This was echoed by Carlisle during his time with the Mavericks. Amongst his praise, Carlisle noted, “There hasn’t been one time all year where he has complained or dropped his head.”

Further, veteran teammate and eight-time all-star Vince Carter added similar sentiments. “He’s always been a great shooter and very solid defensively. It’s a luxury to have somebody like that….he’s a professional player.” These sentiments clearly speak volumes about Ellington.

Next: Playing time