The Miami Heat need to prioritize a pick-and-roll ball handler in free agency

The Miami Heat were the worst team in the NBA at scoring off the pick-and-roll last season, and they need to address that first and foremost this summer.

The Miami Heat had difficulty scoring last season, and the biggest reason for this was an anemic pick-and-roll attack from their ball handlers. The Heat were actually eighth in pick-and-roll man scoring efficiency, scoring 1.157 points per possession (per Synergy), but they were dreadful when the ball handler attempted to score.

They were last in the NBA in pick-and-roll ball handler efficiency, scoring a woeful .754 points per possession. The Heat were one of only two teams to score less than .8 points per possession, joining the 29-53 Atlanta Hawks.

If the roster looks more or less the same in 2019-20, it’s possible that the pick-and-roll attack may actually go downhill. Dwyane Wade was the highest-volume ball handler, scoring .79 points per possession on 429 total possessions, and he won’t be returning next season.

Minus Wade’s contributions, the Miami Heat’s overall production from pick-and-roll actually drops to a dreadful .741 points per possession.

Justise Winslow started at point guard for much of the second half of last season, and his performance as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll left much to be desired. He was in the 14th percentile, scoring just .638 points per possession, and it’s likely that he’ll see his total number of possessions increase next season if he is to be the full-time starting point guard in 2019-20.

It’s a cardinal sin to give up too soon on a young player’s development into a ball handler, but coach Erik Spoelstra and the Heat should exercise caution in pushing him into a role he may not be ready or equipped for.

While the Heat have a few holes to plug this summer, surely the biggest and most critical is that of capable ball handlers. Especially if Goran Dragic declines his player option, the roster will be largely bereft of experienced ball handlers, and a pick-and-roll-heavy offensive attack will be left rudderless.

Mind you, if Dragic does decline his player option, it could start a cascade effect that could lead to Hassan Whiteside declining his option as well. If those two move on the Miami Heat could actually open up cap space for a max slot by stretching and waiving Ryan Anderson, which would open their horizons considerably.

Given that there are many directions the Heat’s offseason could go that do NOT lead to them signing Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Tobias Harris or any of the other elite ball-handling scorers out of the pick-and-roll, they may need to satisfy themselves with players in a lower free agency tier, like Seth Curry, Derrick Rose or Terrence Ross.

It’s possible that the Heat could acquire a player in this tier with their mid-level exception (MLE), so even if they don’t end up with cap space to make a big splash they may still be able to more than adequately fill their most glaring hole.