Miami Heat: Does James Ennis Deserve A Roster Spot?

By David Ramil | Jul 21, 2015

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 /

The Miami Heat and James Ennis find themselves at an unfortunate crossroads. One path — marked “Potential” — is somewhat blurred, hard to see as it bends in and out of focus like a mirage. The other — named “Business” — is more clearly identified but seems much more ominous, particularly for Ennis.

Which road they choose is unknown and each has its own unique risks, for both the team and the player.

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But the choice must be made by Aug. 1, when Ennis will either find himself as part of the Heat’s future or looking for a job.

Ennis was considered a lock for the Heat roster just a month ago, coming off an inconsistent yet promising rookie campaign in Miami. He was a capable shooter (40.9 percent overall and 32.6 percent from three-point range) but possessed elite athleticism and was, at times, an explosive finisher at the rim.

There were holes in his game, most notably his commitment to defense and suspect ball-handing. But the defense improved as his playing time increased and the hope was that, with a full summer training in Miami, he’d improve his dribble to acceptable levels.

Instead, nearly every aspect of his game has regressed.

Ennis joined the Heat’s Summer League team, both in Orlando and Las Vegas. Through seven games, he shot just 30.4 percent overall, including an abysmal 11 percent from three-point range. He averaged 3.29 turnovers per game while his rebounding and playmaking ability seem to have plateaued (a generous assessment).

Moreover, Ennis sounds like a broken man, desperately seeking answers before his tenure in Miami might come to an abrupt and unexpected end:

"“Terrible — It’s the worst summer league I ever played,” he said, sitting alone in a makeshift locker room at Cox Pavilion after the rest of the team had cleared out. “I have no answers right now. I have no answers…I just don’t know what’s going on in the summer league. I couldn’t tell you. I’m not playing how I should play. I’m thinking too much. My mind is cluttered. I don’t know. I can’t climb out.”"

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That was his response to reporters on July 15, shortly after a Heat loss in Las Vegas. Two days later, Ennis had his worst showing this summer, a loss to Sacramento where he went just 4-of-16 from the field, missed all eight of his three-point attempts and had seven turnovers, his most throughout both tournaments.

Summer League, as critics will rightly point out, isn’t necessarily an accurate barometer for player development. Many are the players who have over-performed during the two-week stretch only to come crashing once training camp begins. Similarly, even superstars can struggle with the necessary adjustments that all rookies must make only to thrive once the regular season begins.

But Ennis’ struggles might force Miami’s hand, particularly with most of his upcoming salary guaranteed only if he’s still on the roster on Aug. 1. That’s a brief window to make a decision that could affect the rest of a person’s NBA career.

Moreover, if his offseason issues were merely a fluke magnified by temporarily shaken confidence, the Heat could wind up blocking the road to Ennis’ full potential.

Miami Summer League coach Dan Craig explained to The Miami Herald that Ennis has been dealing with knee tendinitis, a definite factor the front office will consider:

"“He’s got to find his health. He hasn’t felt great the past few months. Tendinitis can be really crippling when you’re an athletic player. Even when you’re shooting, it can affect everything. Right now, he’s got to be focused on getting healthy. When he gets back, he’ll be working on a little bit of everything.”"

That kind of support seems encouraging for Ennis, as does his ability to mesh with the team’s future vision. The Heat are looking to speed things up on offense, increasing a pace that was dead last during the previous season (averaging an anemic 77.2 field-goal attempts per game).

That would seem to benefit Ennis who — as the Herald points out — thrived alongside the recently re-signed Goran Dragic:

"The Heat outscored opponents by 28 points in 191 minutes when Ennis and Dragic were on the floor together last season. That plus/minus ranked 10th-best on the Heat among two-man lineups."

Not great, but certainly a positive factor to counterbalance his “terrible” showing in Summer League.

Still, keeping Ennis is far from a given, especially considering Miami’s other additions this offseason. The team drafted Justise Winslow, an explosive rookie that can play both the shooting guard and small forward positions.

He is, unlike Ennis, an excellent defender that uses his quick hands, timing and athleticism to harass opponents; even as a rookie, he’s expected to be a factor for the Heat.

The team also added veteran Gerald Green who, at 6’8″, is just a bit taller than Ennis and every bit as explosive. He’s also excellent from long-range (36.8 percent for his career), seems committed to improving his defense, and has experience playing — and running — with Dragic while both were with the Phoenix Suns.

That could be the nail in Ennis’ career-coffin in Miami.

It certainly could be affecting his Summer League performance as he told reporters, “There’s a lot of things that have been going through my head.”

The business side of the game is omnipresent yet rarely does it seem as magnified as this. Ennis’ issues are at least partly psychological and being assured a roster spot could restore his confidence and give him the chance to realize his potential. But that’s a huge gamble for Miami, who are currently trying to juggle 15 roster spots for 18 players.

They could be sacrificing the growth of other younger players – like Winslow or fellow rookie Josh Richardson or second-year man, Tyler Johnson. Ultimately, there’s no perfect solution.

But it’s clear that one is necessary and, by Aug. 1, we’ll know exactly what path Miami has chosen for the coming season.

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