What Miami Heat’s Nunn determined after recent shooting slump. And an injury update
A six-pack of Miami Heat notes on a Tuesday:
▪ While Kendrick Nunn was in the midst of a recent 20 for 69 shooting slump, he went to the film room and came away with two conclusions:
A) His shot selection was still good. But B) he would try to seize on more opportunities to drive to the basket when available.
Nunn has shaken out of that slump the past two games, shooting 6 for 14 on a 14-point night against Washington and shooting 6 for 11 in an 18-point game against Chicago.
“I watched film to recognize the type of shots I’m getting,” Nunn said. “My shot selection has been good. They were shots I normally make that I just missed. [But] if teams pressure me, I will drive to the basket. I’m trying to get [more] easy baskets. I will still take threes when I’m open.”
Nunn said teams are defending him “a little more aggressively” than earlier in the season.
For the season, Nunn is averaging 15.3 points, which ranks 15th among all shooting guards. His 44.4 field goal percentage ranks 16th among shooting guards but his 34.8 three-point percentage ranks 41st.
Per basketballreference.com, he’s shooting 70.8 percent at the rim (51 for 72), 35.6 percent (16 for 45) from three to nine feet, 43.6 percent (17 for 39) from 10 feet to 15 feet, 37.5 percent (9 for 24) from 16 feet to the three-point line, and 34.8 percent (47 for 135) on threes.
Nunn, named NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, has taken only 33 free throws in 23 games, but coach Erik Spoelstra said he’s not going to make an issue of that.
“He’s getting better in all levels,” Spoelstra said. “He’s doing some very good things offensively.”
▪ Guards Goran Dragic (strained groin), Dion Waiters (sick) and guard/forward Justise Winslow (lower back) were ruled out for Tuesday’s game against Atlanta.
This will be Dragic’s fifth missed game in a row. Waiters, who has yet to play this season, has missed three games in a row with an illness. Winslow, after Tuesday, will have missed 13 of the Heat’s past 18 games; he missed 10 with a concussion and this will be his third game missed with the back.
But Bam Adebayo (right groin contusion), Derrick Jones Jr. (stomach illness) and KZ Okpala (strained left Achilles) were available against the Hawks.
Okpala eventually will likely be sent to the Heat’s G-League team. Adebayo played through the groin injury in Sunday’s win against Chicago.
Guard Daryl Macon re-joined the Heat on Tuesday as part of his two-way contract.
▪ Spoelstra said he didn’t object when Adebayo attempted (and missed) a wide-open corner three the other night.
“I’m fine with it,” Spoelstra said. “He’s going to continue to work. He’s like center version of Jimmy Butler.”
Adebayo is 1 for 7 on threes this season and 4 for 29 in his career.
The biggest growth in his game offensively has been on shots from 10 to 15 feet; he’s an impressive 17 for 32 on those shots (53.1 percent). Last season, he shot 22 for 59 on those shots (37.3 percent), so the offseason shooting clearly paid off.
“He really worked at this summer,” Spoelstra said. “You are seeing those results.”
From 16 feet to the 3-point line, he’s 3 for 10 this season.
▪ The Heat has gone longer — to start a season — without consecutive losses than any Heat team in history… Miami’s 10-0 start at home is the best in franchise history and the Heat’s 15.9 point margin of victory at home is best in the NBA… The Heat has scored more points through 23 games (2552) than any in franchise history.
▪ Butler’s assist average (6.8) would be by far the highest of his career; his career average is 3.6.
Butler said Tuesday that’s entirely a byproduct of having the ball in his hands more than at any other time in his career.
Butler said whether he has the ball a lot or not doesn’t matter to him; he’s only concerned with winning.
But he said having so many adept ball-handlers has been helpful.
“It takes a load of so many other people, whether it’s myself, Bam, Goran, Justise,” Butler said. “When you have guys that can initiate offense, can shoot, score and defend, you don’t take plays off, but you don’t have to lock in and key on doing this every single time down the court. You’ve got other guys than can do it.”
▪ Quick stuff: Though Cleveland reportedly has made Kevin Love available, he has three years remaining on his contract after this one and the Heat isn’t a fit because Miami won’t do anything to take them out of 2021 free agency unless it’s trading for an elite player… ESPN assigned Mark Jones, Doris Burke and Israel Gutierrez to Friday’s Heat-Lakers game at 7 p.m.
Here’s my Monday night piece on my conversation with Wizards guard Bradley Beal about whether he considered the Heat before signing an extension with Washington in October.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 2:59 PM.
