Miami Heat 2016-17 player preview: Luke Babbit
By Simon Smith
What Babbitt does well
Babbitt’s versatility is something the certainly stands out, with his ability to score in a number of ways. Having the ability at six foot nine to put the ball on the floor and get off his own shot is a real strength. As seen on the video, he definitely has a great nose for the ball in terms of his offensive rebounding of his own shots. His length and clear basketball smarts give him the ability to perform a number of skills.
Furthermore, Babbitt is very comfortable scoring within the scope of the teams offence. Per NBA.com, 68.9 of Babbitt’s scoring last season was assisted from a teammate. In continuing with Miami’s theme this off-season, catch-and-shoot is a real strength of Babbitt’s. Having also added shooters including Wayne Ellington and Dion Waiters, Babbitt clearly appealed to the Heat. With perimeter and three-point shooting being an achilles heel in recent seasons, Babbitt is certainly qualified to assist in this area.
Babbitt gives the Heat a number of options with their lineups this season. With Chris Bosh’s versatility departing, Babbitt’s size and ability to stretch the floor can be a great compliment for the teams offence. And with fellow ‘lefty’ Josh McRoberts’ short term future uncertain, an early spot in the rotation could certainly be on the cards.