For a third straight game to open the season, the Miami Heat struggled with their 3-point shooting. Coincidentally, the Heat are now 0-3 to begin the much-anticipated Giannis Antetokounmpo era.
While it's difficult to say what Miami's biggest reason is for their rough start to the year, there's no question that their 3-point shooting, or lack thereof, does hold a significant piece of the blame pie. Through three games, the Heat are top-10 in 3-point attempts but bottom-10 in 3-point percentage.
That's not necessarily a winning formula, as has been clearly evident in the Heat's 0-3 start to the year. Overall, the Heat was slightly better in game three, which is why they only loss by five points, but is still shooting just 30 percent from beyond the arc on the year.
Dalton Knecht would've been an asset for the Heat
At this point, the Heat could use a player like Dalton Knecht. Unfortunately, the New York Knicks beat them to the punch. But Miami has no one to blame but itself. Knecht was available for the Heat to sign since last week, after he was a surprise cut before the start of the regular season.
New York didn't sign him until roughly a week later. It's not just that the Heat may have missed out on a quality shooter who could've been a real asset for the team, but it also doesn't feel good knowing it was a rival who picked him up.
Still, the Heat decided that A) they didn't want to waste their 15th and final roster spot on Knecht, and B) they had enough shooting. With the way things have started for the Heat this season, there's an argument to be made that they were wrong on both accounts.
At least that's just the way things are trending.
Right now, the Heat's offense is upside down. It's difficult to say what they do well, and they clearly don't have enough shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. That's why, in theory, Knecht, despite his limitations on the defensive end of the floor, would've added something of value for Miami.
Plus, at this point, it's not even like the Heat are playing much defense either. Miami has gotten off to an all-around bad start. Offense. Defense. They're not even leading the league in pace, as they did last year.
The biggest problem with the Heat is that there's no rhyme or reason to this team. They just exist. And, sure, they're still learning how to play with each other, but eventually, something has to give. They need to find an identity. That just hasn't happened yet.
Whether they will admit it or not, Knecht would've been a useful piece. He may not be able to offer much defensively, but the man can shoot. He's proven that. But now that he's off the market, the Heat are back to square one. The fact that it was the Knicks that beat them to the punch makes it a little more frustrating for Miami.
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