The Ellington situation has been tough for all involved. How tough? Spoelstra: ‘Gut-wrenching’
There’s no denying it.
Wayne Ellington admits this season has been difficult, as he has fallen out of the Heat’s rotation just one season after setting a career high and team record with 227 made three-pointers.
“It’s been rough,” said Ellington, who has already received 19 did not play-coach’s decisions this season. “I’ll be completely honest with you, it’s been rough.”
It has actually been tough for the person keeping him out of the rotation, too.
“I don’t even know how to express how I feel about Wayne and how gut-wrenching this has been for his head coach,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “with all these manifestations of our rotation this year, that one has been the most challenging, most difficult, maybe of my entire career. It’s so undeserving.”
But Ellington, 31, finally got another opportunity to play Sunday. He started at guard in place of the sidelined Tyler Johnson in the Heat’s win over the Knicks, and he finished with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 4 of 11 on three-pointers, in 31 minutes.
Making Ellington’s performance even more impressive was the fact that each of his 19 points came in the second half. Widely regarded as the Heat’s best three-point shooter, he scored 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting over the final two quarters, including 4 of 7 from three-point range.
“It’s been a rough situation. It’s been rough,” Ellington said. “Sometimes it’s hard to understand. Sometimes you don’t see the light. Sometimes you’re like, ‘Ugh, man.’ You’re frustrated. There’s a lot of emotions that come with it, but like I said the work was just therapeutic for me. I’m glad [Spoelstra] had the faith in me to throw me right back in the mix tonight, throw me in the fire, which is tough.”
Watching Ellington stick to his routine every day despite his diminished role made Spoelstra comfortable enough to start him in New York. It marked Ellington’s first start since a Dec. 4 loss to the Magic and his first time playing more than eight minutes since a Dec. 12 loss to the Jazz.
“He’s stayed as professional as he’s ever been,” Spoelstra said. “He stayed as professional as he was last year as our franchise leader for three-point field goals. And then when he’s getting DNPs, he stays professional and then he works on his craft. You can’t fake it in this league, if you’re not ready and not prepared. That’s why I had trust with this, just to insert him into the lineup. I see him working every day and I know he’s ready and I know he’s a pro and I know he’s not tainted in the mind.”
Ellington is also not delusional in the mind. He knows, even after Sunday’s 19-point outing, he’s still not guaranteed a consistent spot in the Heat’s rotation.
When Johnson returns from injury, it could push Ellington back out of the rotation. But with Derrick Jones Jr. expected to be out at least six weeks after a Monday MRI revealed two right knee bone bruises, there’s a void left in the Heat’s rotation that Ellington could fill.
“It’s a tough situation. It’s a tough job,” Ellington said of Spoelstra’s task of managing Miami’s roster. “We have a lot of guys that can play and can contribute, and we all play similar positions. It’s a tough situation. If we can figure out how to use that depth to our advantage, that would be a great outcome. But at the same time, different nights cause frustration. That’s just the reality of it.”
Even if Ellington does find himself in a lesser role again in a few games, he has already proven he’s going to remain professional through it all.
“I’ve been around a lot of professionals like Ray Allen and James Jones, and those kinds of guys, Mike Miller — all those guys that definitely could play a lot more and be a big part,” Dwyane Wade said. “It’s not easy. I’m not saying they accepted it. But not coming in and having an attitude in front of everybody, not making a big fuss about it. Just going to work every day, and when his opportunity came like today, he was ready.”
There’s been speculation regarding Ellington’s future with the Heat due to his diminished playing time amid the looming Feb. 7 trade deadline.
Ellington said earlier this month he would not rule out going to Heat management to request a trade to a team where he can play more. Ellington, signed to a one-year, $6.3 million contract, has the right to approve any trade.
Trading Ellington might make sense for Miami because the Heat’s current tax bill would be $9.7 million if payroll isn’t lowered by the final day of the regular season.
But on Sunday, the trade talk was put on hold for one night. Ellington was able to play and contribute to a victory, and that’s all he has wanted to do for weeks.
“No matter what else is going on, you never stop putting the work in because you get out what you put in. I’m a firm believer in that,” Ellington said. “It’s been tough. … But these guys right here right here in this locker room, they always feed me that confidence, they feed me that energy. Tonight I was able to contribute and help get a win. I’m appreciative of that.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 11:00 AM.
