The Miami Heat bench was previously a question mark, but Wayne Ellington's hot shooting has transformed the unit.
Since the All-Star break, the Miami Heat have continued their red-hot play as they have gone 8-3, while still continuing their hot streak from downtown.
One of the major reasons they have been able to keep up their winning run, is because of the emergence of Wayne Ellington as a top-tier perimeter threat.
While Ellington has always been a good shooter, Erik Spoelstra has gradually been working him into the offense more in recent weeks and it is adding an extra dimension to the Heat offense that wasn't there in the early part of the season.
Since the All-Star Break, Ellington has shot 45 percent from downtown and he has been averaging eight attempts per game. The majority of his work now comes with the bench unit, as the threat off him coming off of a screen is opening up more angles for other players to work with.
Prior to the All-Star Break, Ellington was averaging around six attempts per game, but he was only shooting 35 percent on these attempts, so there has been a clear improvement.
In the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 6, the Heat were largely short-handed due to injuries, but Ellington shot 5-of-10 from beyond the arc and ultimately helped them to a victory.
The Heat's bench game was essentially using him off screens and it was something that the Cavs struggled to deal with, as he is a fast guard.
Since then, Spoelstra has continued to run more off-screen plays for Ellington, and it has worked well, as Ellington has continued to shoot well from beyond.
In the fourth quarter of the victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, the Heat's entire offense down the stretch was based on the off-screen action and when the Pelicans over-committed to stopping Ellington, it opened things up for other players as you can see below.
The Heat's entire bench O is now based on the threat of Ellington off the screen, it's working well. pic.twitter.com/h3IPRt2lpH
— Joe (@HulbertJoe) March 16, 2017
The Heat's offense is all about forcing people to over-commit to perimeter shooting and when Ellington is shooting 45 percent from beyond, teams are naturally going to try and close out on him.
This means he is now a threat as a passer after a pump fake and it is helping Miami create more open looks. It is no surprise that Miami has had the third=best offensive rating since the All-Star break, as their key bench shooter is playing well.
Since the All-Star Break, the Miami bench is first in overall net rating and it is also doing well at keeping hold of the ball, as only the Pistons bench has a better assist-to-turnover ratio.
Ellington's play has been a huge part of this turnaround for Miami, as their bench was 26th in offensive rating before the All-Star break.
While Miami's ridiculous post All-Star break net rating is probably unsustainable, Wayne Ellington's form has changed the entire outlook of this team.
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Miami is four points better per 100 possessions when he is on the court and his production has come at a time in which they really needed it.
The bench strategy previously called for having the offense run through James Johnson and while he has performed admirably as a point forward, it was getting rather predictable.
Johnson's assist numbers went down in January and February and the Heat needed to try and expand their bench strategy, Ellington has been the answer they were looking for.
Moving forward, it would be unwise for the Heat to alter what is clearly a winning strategy. Ellington's attempts per game are gradually going up and this is making everyone else play better.
Wayne Ellington is a restricted free agent this summer and he has probably played himself into a one- or two-year extension. Off the screen, he ranks in the 57th percentile and he has also been a reliable spot-up man as he ranks in the 81st percentile.
Historically, the Miami Heat are a team that maximizes outside shooters and Ellington is further proof that the Spoelstra philosophy is working.
