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Miami Heat Roundtable: What’s the deal with Wayne Ellington?

By Allana Tachauer

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 20: Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat stretches prior to the game against the Houston Rockets on December 20, 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 Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 20: Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat stretches prior to the game against the Houston Rockets on December 20, 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 Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 20: Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat stretches prior to the game against the Houston Rockets on December 20, 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 Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 20: Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat stretches prior to the game against the Houston Rockets on December 20, 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 Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Another week, another AllUCanHeat Miami Heat Roundtable.

So, are you surprised by how sparingly head coach Erik Spoelstra has been utilizing Wayne Ellington this year?

Chase Eyrich (@ceyrich): Yes and no. At the beginning of the season, I thought that when Wayne Ellington would come back after sitting the first seven games, he would provide the role of “anytime scorer”. You know, the kind of person you can put in and know he can knock down a few solid 3’s and give the Miami Heat a run when they needed it. Over all, he hasn’t been as efficient as the Heat need him to be. Ellington has had a few games over 15-points, but the Heat sacrifice a lot when he’s on the court; the +/- has not been in his favor this season. It would be great for the Heat if they had the Ellington that provided that “anytime scorer” role, but I don’t blame head coach Erik Spoelstra for using the rotation differently.

Rohan Campbell (@theboyro): Yes, it’s actually quite shocking, unless Spoelstra knows something about Ellington that we don’t. If the Heat are trying to trade him though, how come he isn’t used as much as before? We know he’s basically nothing but a spot up 3-point shooter (albeit it a very good one). And a team, say the Los Angeles Lakers, is trying to get shooters around LeBron James. I’m not saying that the Heat could end up with Brandon Ingram or anything, but with Jones Jr. excelling all of a sudden, what happens with Ellington? I would say attempt to put Ellington back into the rotation, but with Dion Waiters inching closer to returning to the starting lineup, someone has to be moved. And right now, Ellington looks like that guy.

Brandon Johnson (@bjohnsonNBA): I can’t say that I am. Ellington had an injury coming into the season, so much like James Johnson, he’s been slow to get back into a rhythm. Even after Ellington’s return, Spoelstra continues to run Rodney McGruder at the two-guard in his place. I’d argue that this is largely due to McGruder’s higher utility as a defender and 3-point threat, which gives him some leverage over Ellington. Through 30 games, he leads Miami in 3-point percentage. When coupled with his tenacious rebounding (4.5 per game, on par with Kelly Olynyk), there’s no question as to why Ellington has taken a back seat.

Rahmeaun Rahming (@Boneman9000): I really am surprised. The way the team made such a big deal out of being sure to re-sign him in free agency, gave a false sense of security when it came to his spot in the rotation. Sure, he’s missed some games due to injury, but it seems like the plays drawn up for him from last season are no longer in the playbook. With the amount of depth on the roster, Spoelstra can afford to bury him and still win games. To be honest, I don’t know what I’d rather see: him buried on the bench, leaving me wishing to see his shooting stroke, or looking like C.J. Miles in Toronto where I see him for 15 minutes a night, but he’s shooting an abysmal 28 percent from deep.

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