Just like all of the 29 other teams in the association, the Miami Heat are in the process of putting the final touches to their squads via training camp. And with 19 players currently on the preliminary roster, the competition for a final spot on the team is extremely intense.
More from Miami Heat
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Report: Miami Heat hoping to keep key player out of Lillard trade talks
- Grade the Trade: The Heat pass on Lillard to land an MVP in this proposal
- NBA Rumors: Heat have big plans to upgrade frontcourt if they land Lillard
However, rookie Andre Dawkins will be hoping to make a lasting impression on Coach Erik Spoelstra and shoot his way into the Heat’s future plans.
Simply put, Dawkins can shoot the ball. During his four years at Duke University, he converted 40.7 percent of his 3-point attempts to finish with his collegiate career with 231 3-pointers made – those figures were good enough to place him fifth and eighth in the school’s all-time rankings and could well be his meal ticket as a pro.
As is the case with most college players, the difference in range between the NBA and the NCAA 3-point line will most likely affect him early on in his career. Although having said that, if his summer league play is anything to go by, he will be just fine.
The 23-year-old nailed 40 percent of his 3s on his way to 12.3 points, despite averaging only 19 minutes per game during four Orlando Summer League appearances as a member of the Miami Heat. And the most memorable outing came against Oklahoma City Thunder as Dawkins was en fuego from long-range, going 7-for-12 on his way to 27 points.
Sure Miami lost the game, but the rookie covered himself in glory and did exactly what need to do: standout from the rest of the field. No doubt, that will have made a huge impression on the Heat’s coaching staff as well as significantly improving his chances of making the team – especially with the loss of 3-point specialists James Jones and Ray Allen.
So as we’ve already established, Andre Dawkins is a pretty darn good shooter. Unfortunately, that’s about all he offers – or rather, what we’ve seen. He came into a Duke as a five-star recruit but ended up getting pigeonholed as a shooter and not really doing much else. Consequently, that has led to him being known as a one-dimensional player (even if it’s sniper-like accuracy) and that most likely will not be enough to earn him a roster spot.
As such, during training camp he should be looking to show the coaches he can handle the ball relatively well; or at least well enough to be able to get by oncoming defenders, rather than camping out in the perimeter and hoisting up bombs.
Defensively, he has quite a bit of work to do as well and that doesn’t bode too well for him – especially with a defensive-minded coach like Spoelstra, who places more value on that side of the court than most. It’s a huge reason (perhaps even the only reason) why James Jones wasn’t able to crack the rotation last season, despite being an exceptional shooter.
So if a veteran like Jones can’t get a sniff, what hope does a rookie who struggled for minutes in college have?
Nonetheless, if Andre Dawkins can prove to be more than just a shooter, i.e. being able to capitalize on defenders scrambling to him to block his jumper by taking the ball off the dribble and finishing what should (theoretically speaking) be an easy lay-up/dunk, then he could well make things interesting when it comes to making the cuts for the roster.
Plus, he does have a few things going in his favor:
1) Winning the 2010 NCAA title does suggest that he has some championship pedigree about him, which would be big deal for a team clinging to the idea it is still a contender.
2) Playing for a coach like Mike Krzyzewski, who is well-respected in NBA circles, is a huge thing to put on your résumé and you can bet he’s improved his basketball IQ under his tutelage.
3) He would fill a need since the Miami Heat lost several marksmen during free agency, in addition to only having Dwyane Wade at shooting guard; Dawkins is both. Two birds, one stone.