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Miami Heat: Wayne Ellington deserves his own Most Improved nod

By Allana Tachauer

MIAMI, FL - APRIL 11: Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat speaks to the media after the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 11, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Oscar Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 11: Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat speaks to the media after the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 11, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Oscar Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Who is the Miami Heat’s Most Improved Player of 2018?

The league is finally handing out this season’s bragging rights on Monday, June 25, at the 2018 NBA Awards.

Six of the most sought after honors (Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player) have been voted on by selected members of the media, while others range from being decided by league executives, players and even fans.

(Those are perhaps the most entertaining, with categories ranging from the likes of Dunk of the Year, Clutch Shot of the Year, Assist of the Year, Block of the Year and Handle of the Year.)

The finalists have already been announced, as Donovan Mitchell, Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum will compete for ROY, and Anthony Davis, James Harden and LeBron James are head-to-head for MVP.

As for Most Improved? That will either belong to Clint Capela, Spencer Dinwiddie or Victor Oladipo.

All of this year’s nominees are certainly deserving of their respective nods, but with so much talent in today’s NBA, there are obviously also a handful of players who have gone completely overlooked.

One of which happens to be Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington, who has finally found his footing in the league.

At first glance, looking at numbers alone, it may not seem like Ellington’s 2017-18 run was all that spectacular; having averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist a game in 26.5 minutes of play. However, when taking a closer look, the 30-year-old’s impact on the team this season is something to write home about.

For starters, 11.2 points per matchup marks a career-high for No. 2, having previously averaged 10.5 points a contest in his first year with Miami. Ellington also shot 39.2 percent from downtown, his best since 2013-14, when he played for the Dallas Mavericks.

The journeyman also set an NBA record this year, topping the charts for 3-pointers made off of the bench. It came as he drained his third 3 of the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 4, earning Ellington 207. The record was previously held by Eric Gordon, who made 206 in 2016-17 play.

In the end, he finished the season with 227.

That figure also resulted in the former North Carolina Tarheel topping the franchise charts for 3-pointers made in a single season. He scored 32 points in the Heat’s regular season finale against the Toronto Raptors, including going 8-for-12 from downtown. Damon Jones once belonged in the number one spot, with 225.

It isn’t all about this year being a record-breaking one for Ellington either. The way in which he stepped up for an inconsistent Miami team, is certainly worth noting too.

The shooter may not always have been hot, but he never gave up for a single second. When his shots weren’t falling, the guard made sure to still help out offensively by transforming into a playmaker, as well as holding things down on the defensive end.

Next: 3 Reasons why the Miami Heat need to sign Trevor Ariza

Both Ellington and the Miami Heat as a whole may not have had a flashy enough season to officially win Most Improved Player, but fans know just how far he’s come anyway.

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