Defense has rarely been an issue for the Miami Heat. The offensive end is where they have struggled the most in recent years.
Scoring as a whole has certainly been an issue, but oddly enough so has their three-point shooting. Despite having one of the best shooters in the NBA, they still were a below-average three-point shooting team.
They finished the year ranked 19th in three-point percentage (35.8%). If Duncan Robinson’s three-point stats were taken away, they would have ranked 27th in the NBA (34.2%).
Despite all this, they still managed to be the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Although it didn’t end well in the playoffs, the fact that they played so well with such poor three-point shooting is impressive.
With the way the league is trending, being able to shoot the three-ball is imperative. The Miami Heat won’t be able to skate by with Robinson being the only real shooter.
Neither of their star players are three-point shooters. Jimmy Butler shot 24.5% from deep last year, and Bam Adebayo only took eight the whole year.
With the number of threes teams are taking nowadays, having shooters on the roster is crucial. Since their two big-name players can’t shoot, the Miami Heat have to put a ton of shooters around them.
In nine of the past ten NBA seasons, the champions were a top ten team in terms of three-point shooting. The only exception to this rule was the 2019-20 Lakers.
If the Miami Heat want to contend for a championship, improving their three-point shooting should be a top priority. What are the best routes to take in order to do so?
Miami Heat path to improving shooting: Re-sign/build-up role players
Despite their poor shooting numbers, the Miami Heat do have some shooters on the roster. The key this offseason will be to retain them and give them larger roles.
First and foremost, Duncan Robinson could have an even bigger role than he already does. He does so much within the offense, but he only averaged 13.1 points last year.
The Miami Heat could look to give him even more shots every game. By making him an even bigger threat than he already is from three-point range, they would certainly solidify themselves as a better three-point shooting team.
In addition, they had some other players on the roster last year who could turn into three-point snipers. The names to take note of in that regard are Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Omer Yurtseven.
Strus showed the ability to shoot the three-ball super well last year. He’s always been an efficient three-point shooter but could help the team even more if given a larger role.
As for Vincent and Yurtseven, neither got much playing time last year. However, if they can turn themselves into even better shooters than they are not, the Miami Heat could stand to give them more minutes.
Vincent showed his capabilities from range during Nigeria’s upset of Team USA. He scored 21 points and nailed six threes.
Yurtseven is a center, but his ability to space the floor would help the Miami Heat a ton. If he can show enough improvement to garner rotational minutes, Miami’s floor spacing, and shooting, would greatly improve.
Miami Heat path to improving shooting: Sign shooters
This is the obvious solution to a lot of problems the Miami Heat have this offseason. With the amount of cap space they have, signing players should be easy from a financial perspective.
The free agency market this summer is full of shooters. The Miami Heat just have to figure out which players would fit best.
In the higher echelon of free agents, there are players such as Tim Hardaway Jr. and Evan Fournier. Both have shown the ability to score in large amounts while also shooting super efficiently from deep.
The Miami Heat need a huge influx of shooting, though. Just adding a couple of high-tier free agents isn’t going to cut it.
Luckily for them, there are some solid options that will probably be available for a lower price as well. Adding shooters all throughout the rotation is important.
Players such as James Ennis, Tony Snell, and fan-favorite Wayne Ellington would all be viable options. All three have proven to be competent three-point shooters who can contribute in an NBA rotation.
No matter what the Miami Heat do this offseason, improving their three-point shooting should be near the top of the list. That’s one of the biggest keys to winning in today’s NBA.