During the 2011-12 season, the Miami Heat were tied for ninth in the league in team three point shooting. Two members of the team finished in the top-20 in the league in three-point shooting – Mike Miller was tied for ninth in the league (45.3%) and James Jones was 20 in the league (40.4%). Mario Chalmers also finished 36 in the league in three-point shooting, finishing the season with a percentage of 38.8%. LeBron James was the only other player on the team to shoot above 35% from three-point range, finishing with a percentage of 36.2% on the season.
The team averaged 15.6 three-point attempts per game (1,030 attempts in 66 games) and made 5.6 of their attempts per game (35.9%). In the postseason, the team’s average three-point attempts increased to 19.7 attempts per game (452 attempts in 23 games) but their percentage decreased slightly to 34.7% (6.8 made three-pointers per game). However, in the Finals versus the Thunder the three-point attempt was a more potent weapon for the Heat.
In the five-game series, the Heat made 42 of their 98 attempted three-pointers (42.9%). The Heat benefited from big games from various three-point shooters on their team – Shane Battier was 15-26 (57.7%) from three-point range in the series, including 11-15 (73.3%) combined in the first three games of the series. Mike Miller had a memorable closeout game in the series, making seven of his eight three-point attempts in the game and finished 7-11 (63.6%) from three-point range in the series. Overall, six members of the Heat team shot 40% or above from three-point range in the series.
Based on their offseason acquisitions, the Heat are poised to make the three-point shot an even bigger weapon for them during this upcoming season. The Heat added Ray Allen, the NBA’s all-time leader in made three-point field goals, who also finished fourth in the NBA in three-point percentage last year (45.3% – tied with Mike Miller). The Heat also added Rashard Lewis, who is a career 38.8% three-point shooter. The Heat even added shooting at the center position by signing Josh Harrellson. Last season, Harrellson joined Kevin Love and Ersan Ilyasova as the only qualified players last season to average over nine rebounds and one made three-pointer per 36 minutes of play.
The new look Heat offense creates an interesting juxtaposition for opposing teams and has paid early dividends in the preseason. LeBron, the Heat’s primary facilitator, has already shown excellent synergy with the team’s three-point shooters, namely Ray Allen and Shane Battier. The two players are a combined 8-16 (50%) from three-point range in the preseason. At one point in the third quarter of their preseason game versus the Clippers, LeBron assisted on four consecutive three-point makes.
The Heat are a combined 16/38 (42.1%) in their first two preseason games. The Spurs led the league last year in three-point percentage, making 39.3% of their three-point attempts last season. If the Heat can approach or even exceed that mark, opposing defenses will have a hard time guarding the defending champions this year.
Rashard Lewis and Shane Battier recently told reporters that they have a hard time hitting the three point attempts in pre-season because “they are too open”. It seems counter intuitive, but if you’re a shooter you may be able to relate a bit. You practice for years at getting the shot up with defense closing out on you. So all of a sudden when you have big time scorers like Wade, James, and Bosh on your squad facing double teams and switches, you all of sudden have ‘too much time’ in a sense on the perimeter for the three point looks.
For some reason I don’t think Ray Allen will have that same issue. Allen is such a robot from three, I don’t even know if he realizes there are other humans on the floor when he’s putting up his technically perfect jumpers from deep.
