Not that I’m necessarily in the business of giving life advice, but as we get ready to ring in the New Year I thought I might make some brief suggestions for resolutions for some Miami Heat players.
Let’s jump in!
Bam Adebayo: Embrace the 3-point shot. After all that talk about shooting more 3s this season, Adebayo is averaging just 2.8 attempts per game this season. Yes, that’s a career high, and he’s making them at a 31% clip, but I thought it would be more. Let it fly, 13.
Tyler Herro: Just keep doing what you’re doing. Even if Herro faces a shooting slump at some point, he needs to stick with it. Because of the more efficient shot profile, his averages will level out in the end.
Jimmy Butler: Get your money. I know Butler has publicly claimed he doesn’t care about the money, but NBA careers don’t last forever. At 35, this is likely Butler’s last chance to cash in.
Terry Rozier: Work on your touch. Fancy step-backs and dribble moves are cool, but Rozier is making just 32.7% of his shots within 3-10 feet of the basket. He’s leaving too much low-hanging fruit by missing those paint shots.
Haywood Highsmith: Shoot more 3s. Highsmith is on his way to shooting 40% from beyond the arc for his second straight season, but he’s still only taking roughly three attempts per game.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Work on the 3-pointer. In today’s NBA, it’s hard for a player to stay on the court if he’s shooting less than 30% from 3-point range. Jaquez is at 23%. Yikes. Even his collegiate and rookie season average of 32% would mark a dramatic improvement.
Nikola Jovic: Rebound. At 6-foot-10, Jovic’s rebounding rate is closer to Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier’s than it is to Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. If he’s going to carve out steady minutes in the front court, he needs to hit the glass.
Kel’el Ware: Make the most of every minute. Erik Spoelstra has rotated between a few different backup centers this season. Kevin Love, Thomas Bryant (since traded to Indiana), Jovic and Ware have all had a shot to grab the job, but none have made a strong case. Ware has the best physical traits of the group. At 7 feet, he has the athleticism and size to be a shot-blocking presence for a team that ranks 30th in blocks per game.