John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports:
James Jones has attempted 72 shots this season, and not one has come from within 15 feet of the basket. No dunks, no layups, no runners and no floaters. It’s been strictly jumpers for Jones thus far.
Jones is a specialist, of course. As part of the Miami Heat’s supporting cast, it’s his job to complement the Superfriends by spreading the floor and knocking down open shots. To date, Jones has done that job effectively, shooting 48 percent from 3-point range. But Jones’ paint allergy is representative of the Heat as a whole.
Miami ranks last in the league in both points in the paint per game (33.6) and percentage of points scored in the paint (32.2). Points in the paint have been tracked since 2000 and in the 11 seasons since, only one team — the 2002-03 Knicks (30.9 percent) — has scored a lower percentage of its points in the paint than the Heat have thus far.
Miami is also second (behind only Washington) in mid-range percentage (25.4). (Mid-range percentage is the percentage of a team’s points that aren’t scored in the paint, at the free throw line or from 3-point range.)
League-wide, mid-range shots are the most inefficient shots on the floor.
