Ellington’s quest to perfect his shot leads to record
MIAMI Wayne Ellington’s 2017-18 Miami Heat story is one of real estate. It is of finding that scant space on the court to release his 3-point shot as his defender remains in relentless pursuit. It is of the team’s practice court alongside Biscayne Bay, where he uncompromisingly pursues his craft with assistant coach Octavio De La Grana.
And it is of his new real estate in the team’s record book, his closing act Wednesday night giving him 227 3-pointers for the season, eclipsing the previous franchise record of 225 by Damon Jones in 2004-05.
It also is a story that now has a destination, Ellington’s hometown of Philadelphia, where the Heat will open the best-ofseven first round of the NBA playoffs at 8 p.m. Saturday at Wells Fargo Center against the Philadelphia 76ers, in large part because of Ellington’s 8-of-12, 3-point accuracy in Wednesday’s 116-109 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors.
“I’m just so appreciative to be able to get that record,” the personable 30-year-old said. “Obviously, in this great organization, to be at the top of the list in any statistical category is an unbelievable accomplishment. I’m just grateful, humbled and appreciative.”
And relentless. Not necessarily relentless in pursuit of the record, but instead unremitting in his pursuit of each of his 3-pointers.
That particularly hit home with coach Erik Spoelstra in advance of Ellington’s Wednesday 3-for-all.
“I even mentioned to him and the guys in the locker room that these kind of games don’t happen by accident,” Spoelstra said. “On a day off [Wednesday], I happened to just come in and I saw him in there with Coach O for one straight hour of full-speed, catch-andshoots. Literally, most players just can’t sustain that kind of effort on catch-and-shoots.
“That’s the vision of a champion before you’re a champion — it’s drenched in sweat, totally exhausted, empty gym with a coach, working your ass off.”
Ellington said it is the only way he knows, or at least now knows since joining the Heat in the 2016 offseason as a vagabond free agent, now a practice partner with De La Grana, the former Miami-Dade prep championship coach.
“Any work that I do, I do it with him,” Ellington said. “He’s been encouraging me and giving me inspiration. I was up there about 45 minutes [Wednesday]. I wasn’t happy with my performance the game before. The fourth quarter, I missed a couple in a row. In a game like that, this time of year, I want to make them. I want to make all of them, but I know I wanted to come in and get some work.”
Those moments, away from the adulation of 19,600 at AmericanAirlines Arena, are the moments that make the former North Carolina Tar Heel national champion such a favorite of teammates.
“It shows the work he puts in behind the scenes,” said forward Justise Winslow, who has experienced his own 3-point revival this season through the grinder that is the Heat’s developmental program. “For a guy that came in the league a good shooter and kept working at it, we’re all extremely proud. For me, personally, just seeing his work ethic has really helped me out a lot.”
The irony for Heat guard Dwyane Wade is that he not only was Damon Jones’ teammate when Jones established the Heat’s record for 3-pointers in a season, but also began this season alongside Jones, who is an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Even while away, Wade said he was rooting for Ellington, because, for the most part in the NBA, everyone loves Wayne, who has made plenty of friends along his seven-team trail.
“I talked to D-Jones about that earlier this year. I really wanted Wayne to get that when I was on the other side,” Wade said. “Being here, I definitely wanted him to get it.”
“None of it comes easy. He has to work for his shots and he really does. It’s great to have a guy that has that ability. When he gets hot, there’s not much you can do about it.”