Miami Heat: Trevor Ariza Must Become A Stronger Finisher At The Hoop
By Isiah Curry
Trevor Ariza has been good for the Miami Heat, but he can get better.
It’s deeper than just having the wingspan with Ariza though. He, absolutely, knows exactly how to use it and what to do with it.
With his length, this allows Ariza to perform in areas where’s he at his best, serving as the primary defender for premier offensive assignments. And not only does he hold such an advantage on the defensive end with the long arms, Ariza just might have one of the most difficult NBA jumpers to contest in this league.
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However, there’s one aspect of Ariza‘s game for which has been a recent struggle. That would be his finishing at the rim.
Some may hint that a 12-month layoff from playing basketball has impacted his conditioning and performance, which may be true but with his size and ability to take long strides, Ariza doesn’t seem to have much of an issue getting to the basket. The concern seems to be after he’s done most of the work, where he gets to the cup and can’t convert.
In 11 games with the Miami Heat, Ariza is shooting a career-worst fifty-percent on shots from within 0-3 feet of the basket and is yet to convert on any field-goals from within 3-10 feet. And while he hasn’t played in enough games to qualify for ranking in either statistical category, Ariza would still fall in the bottom-third portion of either leaderboard.
To put it simply, he’s been a nightmare on the drive. That isn’t in a good way either, but that should be apparent.