The Numbers
They rank tied for first place in the league in team three-point percentage. They are efficient in that although they rank in the top 10 in each of field goal percentage, 3-pointers made, 3-pointers attempted, and 3-point percentage as mentioned, they are a middle of the pack team when it comes to made field goals and dead last when it comes to field goals attempted.
So, what has separated the Miami Heat this season? What has made them into contenders in a year in which Jimmy Butler was only coming to Miami for vacation?
It’s been the shooting from distance, plain and simple. With that notion in mind though, there has been a very popular question floating around.
This question asks if this shooting from deep is sustainable by the Miami Heat. The answer is yes and although it may not be as straight forward as one might like it to be, the answer remains the same.
As mentioned earlier, the Miami Heat are tied for the league lead in three-point percentage, which is on the back of two of their absolute best shooters in Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson. For reference, Duncan Robinson is absolutely one of the best shooters in the entire league, being top five in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage. Goran Dragic is having his best deep shooting season of his career, efficiency-wise definitely but production-wise as far as impact and timeliness of shots.
Why the previous factors are important towards answering the ultimate question of sustainability is this, even if they aren’t shooting as well as a complete unit, because they have multiple guys and even beyond the two mentioned that shoot it so well from deep, they can only ever get so bad. It’s a sheer numbers game when you think about the fact that Tyler Herro, Kelly Olynyk, Jae Crowder, Meyers Leonard, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala can all hit the long ball with regularity.
You also have to give a nudge to both Derrick Jones Jr. and Jimmy Butler. Although Jimmy’s shot comes and goes, he has hit a big one or two this year alone, one specifically to win a game in overtime earlier in the year.
Although you prefer DJJ rolling, slashing, or driving the lane, he has shown the ability to hit it in streaks this season as well. When you are not dependent on one or a few guys to do all of your snipings, the percentages and numbers bode well for sustainability, which is from an absolute perspective.