Heat focused on spacing, ball movement instead of threes

MIAMI — The questions for Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra have come in one direction and continue to be deflected in another when it comes to his team’s 3-point success.

That again was the case Friday before the Heat faced the Minnesota Timberwolves at AmericanAirlines Arena.

“What’s most, probably, interesting about all of this is we don’t emphasize the 3-point shot,” Spoelstra stressed before the second game of this five-game homestand. “We emphasize spacing and ball movement.”

To Spoelstra, much of the success begins with the starting backcourt of Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters, but not necessarily the long-distance shooting of either.

“There’s a lot of factors,” Spoelstra said. “You can’t just point to one factor. We’ve had some guys now that are healthy, in the lineup, which helps. And it’s not just our 3-point shooters. But when we’ve had Goran and Dion healthy and in the lineup together, they create a lot of actions.

“And so they’re either going to put a lot of pressure on the defenses, and get in the paint and make plays for themselves or for our bigs, or you’re going to have to put second and third defenders in there to try to disrupt that, and that’s going to open up shooting angles for other guys.”

Health also has led to a healthier 3-point percentage, when factoring in Wayne Ellington, Luke Babbitt and even Josh Richardson now coming around with his stroke after an extended absence.

“Our ball movement has been more consistent, guys wanting to share the game and allow other people to play and work from good to great,” Spoelstra said. “But even our 3-point shooters now are healthy and in the lineup.

“Luke and Wayne have helped tremendously. Wayne was out at the beginning of the year, then Luke was out of the rotation for a while. So there’s a lot of factors. There’s not any one factor.”

“They’re one of the most underrated in the league, I think,” Spoelstra said. “I mean, they’re extremely well coached. They’re a hard-playing team. They’re the youngest team in the league, yet they are much different now than what they were in November and December, and you can tell they’re building strong habits.

“Their point-differential is that of a .500 team. Their defense is getting stronger as the season goes on.”

And then there are the remarkable strides of second-year big man KarlAnthony Towns.

“Towns is really unique, 7 feet — what position is he? Nobody knows — four or five,” Spoelstra said. “He can play inside, leads the league, at 21 years old, in points in the paint.” school, and Filipino, people would say, what the heck is that? Nobody even know where that was.”

Spoelstra then began making regular trips to the Philippines as a Heat and NBA envoy beginning in the 2009 offseason.

“It took a while with the NBA to get our first trip over there in 2009, and as soon as we touched down, I mean it was amazing, just the enthusiasm for the NBA, anything they had related to basketball,” he said. “We were there just to serve and try to barnstorm and do as many clinics, reach as many kids and people as we possibly could. But they were incredibly gracious. The passion for the game, you could just see.”

Spoelstra said the passion for the Heat in the Philippines has not waned even with the passing of the franchise’s championship Big Three era.

“What’s been really cool is even though our team has changed, the support and enthusiasm for the Miami Heat has remained,” he said, “and that’s been awesome to see.”