6. Shane Battier
Stats (2012-2014): 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 38 percent from 3
Battier is another example of a guy who’s numbers will not stand out, and often times, he may find himself left out of the opposing team’s scouting report.
That didn’t seem to matter to him, though. He was finally a part of a championship-caliber team and was guaranteed a trip to the NBA Finals nearly every season. Not to mention, living in South Florida was an added bonus.
Much like he did in Houston and with the Memphis Grizzlies, Batter proved time and time again that he is one of the smartest men to ever play in the NBA, and he articulately thought out and studied nearly everything about the game.
Not to mention, he made the corner three quite popular following one of his famous analytics speeches.
Battier will forever be known for his uncanny ability of being in the right place at the right time (ala taking charges.)
While he struggled early to find his shot in the 2011-12 season, Battier caught fire late, particularly in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics and again in the NBA Finals against the Thunder, in which he had consecutive 17-point games to open the series and averaged 11.3 points on 58 percent shooting from outside over the course of all five games.
Battier would continue to thrive in his new role during the 2012-13 season, and alongside Ray Allen, shot 43 percent from beyond the arc (Allen shot 40 percent.)
Although he would endure a mighty struggle throughout the 2013 playoffs, Battier saved his best for last, hitting 6-of-8 3 pointers in Game 7 against the Spurs to help the Heat clinch their second consecutive championship.
He would slowly begin to spend more and more time on the bench following that memorable series, and eventually became an afterthought in Miami’s rotation.
He would retire following the Heat’s 4-1 loss to the Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals and is now a color commentator.