Miami Heat: Why Kendrick Nunn plays better without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro
By Zamir Bueno
Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn believes that he is playing better as of late due to an increase in playing time. Nunn stated during a press conference on January 22nd that getting more minutes has allowed him to get in a rhythm and make winning plays.
But is Nunn’s assessment about his improved performance correct? It is only partly right, as his success has been based on how much time head coach Erik Spoelstra allows to spend in the role of ball handler/playmaker.
How the Miami Heat used Kendrick Nunn during the 2019-20 season
Nunn touched the basketball 50.9 times per game last season in 29.3 minutes, which allowed him to attack the basket 7.4 times during every outing. He shot 48.8 percent from the field during these drives on 3.7 attempts per game. The conversion rate helped him create 4.1 points per game, 26.8 percent of his scoring output last season, as he averaged 15.3 per game.
The touches had a positive influence on his shooting statistics as well because he made 36.8 of his pull-up threes last season on 1.7 attempts per game. The shooting percentage enabled him to generate 1.8 points per game, 11.8 percent of his scoring output.
Nunn’s pull up shooting statistics accounted for 29.3 percent of his threes as he shot 35 percent from behind the arc last season on 5.8 attempts. If you took Nunn’s pull up statistics away, his 3-point shooting would have declined significantly as he only made 34.7 percent of the catch and shoot field goals on 3.9 attempts.
Catch and shoots were reśponsible for 67.2 percent of his 3-pointers last season. The combination of these factors led the team to perform well with him on the floor as they shot 47.3 percent from the field on 50.7 attempts per game.
The conversion rate contributed to Miami outscoring opponents by 0.9 points per game as they created 66.8 points during every outing. Unfortunately, head coach Spoelstra began to drop hints that he would reduce Nunn’s offensive role at the start of this season.
How Tyler Herro changed Kendrick Nunn’s role on the Miami Heat
Spoelstra told beat writers during training camp in December that Tyler Herro was in contention to be the team’s starting point guard, the position previously held by Nunn. Herro would go on to start both preseason games and the first ten regular-season games at point guard.
Herro’s new role led to him getting more time in the role of primary ball-handler and playmaking as he saw a 37.1 percent increase in his touches, going from 44.5 to 61 per game. Herro’s increased role meant other ball handlers would have to sacrifice touches. Head coach Spoelstra has lowered the touches for Goran Dragić, Jimmy Butler, and Nunn.
Butler has seen a 14.1 percent decrease going from 71 to 61 per game. Conversely, Dragić’s touches declined by 6 percent as he went from 64.9 to 61 per game. Unfortunately, Nunn saw the biggest decrease going from 50.9 to 26 per game over his first five appearances.
Consequently, he only drove to the basket 6.2 times per game, shooting 40 percent from the field on 2 attempts. The shooting percentage helped him generate 1.6 points per game, 30.8 percent of his scoring output.
Nunn’s pull up shooting numbers also took a hit as he made 25 percent of his threes on 0.8 attempts per game. Unfortunately, he only created 0.6 points per game on pull-up threes, 11.5 percent of his production. Therefore, the team didn’t perform well with him on the floor as they shot 45.3 percent on 21.2 attempts. Miami got outscored by 8.8 points per game as they generated 24.8 points per game.
However, Nunn has gotten more touches over the past five games due to Jimmy Butler and Herro being out of the lineup. Butler has missed the last seven games due to the league’s health and safety protocols. On the other hand, Herro has been out for the past five games with a sore neck.
Nunn has averaged 51.6 touches per game in 33.4 minutes, a 98.5 percent increase from the first five games. He has driven to the basket 8 times per game, shooting 55.6 percent on 3.6 attempts. The field goal percentage allowed him to generate 5.2 points, 28 percent of his scoring output, as he is averaging 18.6 per game.
The touches have also helped his shooting as he has converted 37.5 percent of his pull-up threes on 1.6 attempts per game. The shooting percentage contributed to him creating 1.8 points per game, 9.7 percent of his scoring output.
The combination of these factors led the team to perform better with him on the floor as they shot 50.4 percent from the field on 52 attempts per game. The conversion rate has contributed to Miami being outscored by 0.8 points per game as they created 75.2 points during every outing.
Unfortunately, Nunn’s success should be short-lived as he will see a decrease in touches when Butler and Herro return for the Miami Heat.