“Let’s go, Heat” chants swarmed the Kia Center in Orlando Wednesday night. Heat fans took over the building and were thrilled to watch their club dominate their in-state rival, the Orlando Magic. Miami overwhelmed Orlando from deep as they shot 15 of 31 from 3-point land in their 115-106 win. Tyler Herro led the way with 28 points and four 3’s in his second game back from injury. Miami shooting the leather off the ball has been a season-long trend— leading the NBA in 3P% at 39%.
Doesn’t this remind you of 2022? It was a fantastic year for Heat fans when Miami clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and was unstoppable from 3-point range. They were shooting 38% from 3 that year, again leading the entire NBA in 3-point shooting. Now, they’re recreating that magic as they aim to ascend in the standings and have an even better finish than that season.
It’s time we all acknowledge the brilliance of Kyle Lowry. His performance has been spectacular, running the offense with the precision of a seasoned quarterback and shooting with an accuracy reminiscent of aiming for the vast Atlantic Ocean.
Lowry’s impressive 45% success rate on his 122 attempts is a testament to his skill, leaving defenses scrambling when they afford him space.
Duncan Robinson has been one of the best high-volume shooters in the world for a while now. Maybe some forgot because of his slump a season ago, but he’s reminding everyone how special he is.
Tyler Herro has been playing at an All-Star level when available. His midrange shot has been money as he slithers to his spots easily. The deep-range shooting is still right there and better than ever.
He’s leveraged his deadly midrange shot into easier 3s, as defenders don’t want to give up either shot.
The resurgence of Kevin Love makes sense to anybody who’s been paying attention. Love is a perfect fit with Miami as his outlet passing and elite shooting regularly break Heat scoring spells. The 35-year-old veteran is shooting 37% on five 3-point attempts per game. He’s a natural fit next to Bam Adebayo, a valuable piece come playoff time.
Should we start calling Jamie Jaquez Jr. and Jimmy Butler the twins? A catchier nickname should be in the works, but Jaquez has a lot of Butler in his game. Neither of these guys is a high-volume 3-point shooter, but both are shooting respectably from downtown (Butler at 37% and Jaquez at 38%).
Caleb Martin is slowly but surely finding his rhythm. Haywood Highsmith even got in on the fun vs Orlando as he drilled four threes Wednesday night.
Josh Richardson has struggled from 3 so far (33%) but Orlando wasn’t able to tell. He, too, dropped four 3-pointers in the Heat’s victory. Give J-Rich more time, he will figure this thing out from deep. Hopefully, the Orlando game can be the turning point of his season.
We bring up the 2022 season because the Heat were an elite shooting team and had a chance at making the Finals. History may repeat this year as the blueprint from that season is being duplicated.
