Miami Heat: 2017-18 player grades for Wayne Ellington
By Simon Smith
Final grade
When evaluating Ellington’s overall grade, a few factors need to be taken into account.
First off all, Ellington came off the bench for 75 of his 77 regular season games. While this may mean he faces more opposing second units, it also means in many situations he is required to work harder for his points, considering he’s not being surrounded as often by players in the starting unit.
Additionally, as a shooting guard, Ellington’s $6 million salary should be compared to players in a similar role to his with the Heat. As a specialist 3-point shooter, Ellington averaged more triples per game than the likes of Allen Crabbe ($19.3 million), Wesley Matthews ($17.9 million), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($17.7 million) and J.R. Smith ($13.8 million).
.@MiamiHEAT Wayne Ellington discusses what it is like to finish the regular season with a win heading into the playoffs and how magical it was to break the single season 3-pointer record. #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/L8S3RNNxv7
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) April 12, 2018
In all, while his value to the team diminished when he wasn’t knocking down his shots, Ellington’s ability to catch fire throughout the season, thus providing matchup difficulties for the opposition, meant his past season was an undeniable success.
Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition
Grade: B+