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Miami Heat: Has James Ennis Turned The Corner?

By David Ramil

Apr 4, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Miami Heat forward James Ennis (32) looks for an open man during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Miami Heat forward James Ennis (32) looks for an open man during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s been a rough season for the Miami Heat, as new injuries crop up and the team struggles to suit up enough players to meet league requirements. But despite the bleak shadows cast by injury, there’s been the occasional bright spot, from Dwyane Wade‘s resurgence to the Hassan Whiteside‘s emergence. And over the last few weeks, you can add the development of rookie James Ennis to that short list.

Like the team itself, Ennis has been up-and-down this season. After a year playing in the Australian Basketball League (one in which he earned team-MVP honors for the Perth Wildcats), he joined the Heat as a largely-unknown factor. During summer league play, he showed flashes of incredible athleticism and solid perimeter shooting.

He was able to sustain it during training camp and the preseason and made the team based on his immense potential. Then, on opening night, he had his best highlight of the season:

The problem was that vicious dunk took place in October and there was still a lot of basketball left to play – and to show the glaring weaknesses in Ennis’ game. His ball handling had always been suspect, relying on his explosive speed to simply outrace players rather than having to weave skillfully through traffic. And while that might’ve worked in Perth, that wouldn’t fly in the NBA where defenders could keep pace with the young forward.

Additionally, his defense — a foundation of “Miami Heat basketball” since Pat Riley joined the organization in 1995 — was pretty poor. His speed could allow him to play passing lanes pretty well and you could count on Ennis to have a steal every other game or so (he has 24 steals in 58 games). Similarly, that incredible leaping ability could lead to some highlight-reel type blocks (16 blocks this season).

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But Ennis’ on-ball defense was weak and he’d occasionally get loss on rotations — quick passes could leave him out of position and having to compensate by committing a foul (he averages 3.1 fouls per 36 minutes — compared to Wade’s 1.9 fouls in the same time frame).

With defense like that, Ennis’ playing time would be wildly inconsistent. In one week in November, his minute totals through four games were 7, 6, 24 and 35. Still, while his time was sporadic, he still participated in Miami’s first 22 games. And then, despite Miami’s growing injury problems, Ennis would be held out completely in eight of the Heat’s next 28 games.

The lowest point in the season came in early March where he didn’t play in eight-straight games.

That might have broken other players (especially an unproven rookie), but it looks like that might have been the wake-up call that Ennis needed. As he recently explained, he had been prepared for that kind of up-and-down playing time:

“Mentally, I had my mind set for that so it wouldn’t affect me as much. If I play consistent and do what the coach likes, I think I’ll get more minutes.”

Doing what the “coach likes” — namely playing defense — has certainly been the key. Through that stretch of March games when Ennis was reinserted into the lineup, he’s had a defensive rating of 88.1. His rotations have been crisper and his effort has been consistent.

In addition, with an offensive rating of 106.5, it’s clear that he’s making an impact on both sides of the ball. He’s averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game since mid-March. And it isn’t all dunks and 3-pointers — he’s figured out how to move without the ball and to create his own shot while limiting turnovers (racking up just three over the last eight games).

Arguably his best game of the season came on March 29, when he scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including both of his attempts from beyond the arc. Notice the improved movement, especially without the ball when he cuts into the paint to receive the pass and finish at the rim:

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    • This isn’t accidental, as head coach Erik Spoelstra said Ennis has put in work “behind the scenes”, especially on his shooting and ball-handling. The work, as evidenced by his increased (and consistent) minutes of late, has paid off:

    “It’s come a long way. I know I can dribble the ball. I have the coach’s trust. Now, that I have the coach’s trust, it helps my confidence. I just know I need to keep on developing.”

    In a season of disappointment, any development is a welcome sight. And with this season’s playoff hopes all but dashed, Ennis can look forward to being a more-important part of next year’s team.

    (Stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com or via NBA.com)

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