Miami Heat 2016-17 player preview: Luke Babbit

What Babbitt doesn’t do well

Babbitt is entering seventh NBA season and has yet to average more than 18 minutes per game in a single season. This clearly indicates there are some areas for concern in his overall game. When breaking down his numbers into specifics, there are certainly some red flags waiving. Per NBA.com last season, field goal attempts classified as a jump shot made up 55 percent of his total attempts. The fact that he converted on just 32.7 percent of these attempts is worrying. It’s particularly concerning for a player considered a solid outside shooter.

More alarming number for Babbitt’s contributions are his usage rate and assist averages. Last season his usage rate was at 17.5 per game. Over his last 13 games of the season when his playing time increased, this number rose to 22.1. For someone not considered a playmaker or ball handler, these numbers are quite high. Furthermore, despite his usage rates being reasonably high for his playing-type, he has a career average of 0.6 assists per game. Per 36 minutes last season, he averaged a measly 2.3 assists per game.

He’s also well known as a below average defender, with a career defensive box score plus minus of minus-2.0. Having him defend other athletic 4’s could make him a point of attack for opponents.

These numbers certainly give an insight into why Babbitt has yet to take a forward step in his career. He has a combination of a poor overall jump-shot, a high usage rate for the role he plays, and is a poor ball distributor. Clearly the Heat see some upside in Babbitt when they made the transaction. But these are some areas of real concern.