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Miami Heat: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason

By Simon Smith

MIAMI, FL - APRIL 11: Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat celebrates with Bam Adebayo #13 against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at American Airlines Arena on April 11, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 11: Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat celebrates with Bam Adebayo #13 against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at American Airlines Arena on April 11, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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.”"

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.

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