2. Re-signing of Wayne Ellington is a good move
While it certainly didn’t garner national headlines, the re-signing of veteran Wayne Ellington was nonetheless a significant moment for the Heat.
After bouncing around the league with six teams over his first seven teams in the league, it’s safe to say Ellington has well and truly found a home in Miami.
Simply one of the elite long distance shooters in the league, Ellington’s importance belied his 11.2 points in 26.5 minutes per game. In the era of pace-and-space, the 30-year-old sharpshooter ranked seventh in the league in 3-point attempts at 7.5 per game while converting at a 39.2 percent clip.
Upon his re-signing, team president Pat Riley expressed his satisfaction at retaining Ellington:
"“It’s great to have Wayne back. He is one of our leaders. We are very pleased that he made the choice to stay. It means a lot to us.”"
Wayne Ellington finishes with 32 PTS with 8 3PM to become the @MiamiHEAT's single season record holder for made 3's! #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/H6OhFrp0vb
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2018
Overall, the Heat were 3.9 points per 100 possessions better off on the offensive end last season when Ellington was on the floor. Considering his influence as a floor-spacer and 3-point marksman, it comes as little surprise that the former North Carolina product featured in the most productive 2-man, 3-man, 4-man and 5-man lineups over the course of last season.
So while the Heat weren’t financially capable of landing a player of greater stature, few players on the Heat roster were more important to the overall success of the franchise last year than Ellington.