Miami likely to sign James Ennis

JLop · Post #1 » by **JLop** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:08 am

"MIAMI – As these NBA Finals elevate urgency for an infuse of youthful talent, the Miami Heat are extremely pleased with the development of their 2013 draft acquisition – forward James Ennis – and there's an increasingly strong likelihood the franchise will sign him, multiple league sources told RealGM.

After an MVP-caliber season in Australia's National Basketball League, Ennis spent the past week working out for the Heat front office in Miami. Ennis, 23, will headline the Heat's Summer League rosters in Orlando and Las Vegas.

The Heat acquired Ennis from the Atlanta Hawks, who selected him with the No. 50 pick. The potential signing of Ennis would likely be a multi-year deal, sources said.

Despite an impressive summer league from Ennis last July, the Heat decided to fill the bench with veteran players and worked closely with Ennis to place him in a viable overseas league. Ennis compiled a title and earned first-team honors with Perth of the NBL, where Miami's management closely monitored the 6-foot-7 forward. He averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, two assists and 46.6 percent shooting from the field in the Australian league, and he then scored 16.6 points and grabbed 8.3 rebounds per game in 12 appearances for a Puerto Rican club.

Ennis completed his collegiate career at Long Beach State and solidified himself as an NBA prospect during a progressive senior season.

The Heat trail 3-1 in the Finals, lacking fresh depth on the bench in the closing stretch of a fourth straight championship appearance."

Full article:
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/23 ... ames-Ennis

Jaxon · Post #2 » by **Jaxon** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:27 am

No ish. lol.

DeBrosh · Post #3 » by **DeBrosh** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 3:29 pm

This is encouraging. Now, the key will be for Spo to actually play him meaningful minutes and not just dust him off at the end of games.

If we're going to continue having a maintenance program for Dwyane, and by all indications attempt to add LeBron to that program, it's going to have to be used not only as an opportunity to get the stars a rest, but to get meaningful minutes for the young guys, not the ring chasing vets. That has to be the takeaway from the Spurs model.

Vertical Limit · Post #4 » by **Vertical Limit** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 3:36 pm

I hope he works on free throw shooting, I would like him to go above 80% on the stripe. His rebounding numbers are nice and he looks to be an efficient scorer, just hope it translates to the NBA.

HEATVols865 · Post #5 » by **HEATVols865** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:12 pm

This guy will get less minutes than Sean Lampley got when he played for us...wasted roster spot!
Australian basketball? Please...

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RSCD3_ · Post #6 » by **RSCD3_** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:54 pm

Let's uncork our cigars everybody

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Vertical Limit · Post #7 » by **Vertical Limit** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 1:23 am

QueenOfFairies wrote:This guy will get less minutes than Sean Lampley got when he played for us...wasted roster spot!
Australian basketball? Please...

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You're so right, it's not like we lost to a ton of foreigners in this year's Final's, we should definitely write him off now. :roll:

Post #8 » by **DefenseWins** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 5:13 am

He better play. He would be a nice spark off the bench big time

xMADEinDADEx · Post #9 » by **xMADEinDADEx** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 5:30 am

Wade and him can come off the bench.

I'm still salty over wade lol

I better hear some surgery news or else :mad:

SmushedPennies · Post #10 » by **SmushedPennies** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:06 am

This should be pretty obvious. He was clearly ready to contribute after last summer league. Can't wait to see how he looks in this one. Needed to put on weight and improve his handle. Did the first.

What was his FT% in the NBDL? Was good in college and summer league.

Dwyane_Wade2006 · Post #11 » by **Dwyane_Wade2006** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 9:01 am

QueenOfFairies wrote:This guy will get less minutes than Sean Lampley got when he played for us...wasted roster spot!
Australian basketball? Please...

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You DO realise we just got lit up by a player in the finals who played in the Australian league yeah?

JesusHCoxMd · Post #12 » by **JesusHCoxMd** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 9:33 am

As long as he can give meaningful minutes and actually rebound the ball.

caliban · Post #13 » by **caliban** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 10:04 am

Looking forward to see him play in the summer league again. Outside of his handle there was definitely some things in his game to be optimistic about last time around. If he has tightened that aspect of his game up over the year with some added international experience there should be a good chance for him to crack developmental rotational minutes some time this upcoming season. No reason imo not to be cautiously optimistic about him from what we've seen so far. May the old and new gods be with you ser Ennis the Menace.

wallsfamily · Post #14 » by **wallsfamily** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 12:24 pm

QueenOfFairies wrote:This guy will get less minutes than Sean Lampley got when he played for us...wasted roster spot!
Australian basketball? Please...

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This is the heats issue! Writing off the young player before he can contribute. Ennis should have been on the team this year and played the meaningless minutes that Battier and Allen overplayed in the regular season so that we would have fresher vets and a young athlete with minutes in the main rotation during the playoffs! If nothing else a young athlete cutting during our spin the ball around the perimeter would cause trouble for opposing defenses. In addition young legs are needed for the constant trapping and switching. I am 50 and when I play with the kids I coach I say choose offens or defense I can't do both and that is the issue with the older heat our defense is physically taxing and something is going to suffer!

BIRDMAN BIRDMAN · Post #15 » by **BIRDMAN BIRDMAN** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:08 pm

I hope he at least becomes a better version of Dorell Wright. Would be nice if he can be a solid 3&D guy, anything more than that would be a bonus

Vertical Limit · Post #16 » by **Vertical Limit** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:15 pm

wallsfamily wrote:
QueenOfFairies wrote:This guy will get less minutes than Sean Lampley got when he played for us...wasted roster spot!
Australian basketball? Please...

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums mobile app

This is the heats issue! Writing off the young player before he can contribute. Ennis should have been on the team this year and played the meaningless minutes that Battier and Allen overplayed in the regular season so that we would have fresher vets and a young athlete with minutes in the main rotation during the playoffs! If nothing else a young athlete cutting during our spin the ball around the perimeter would cause trouble for opposing defenses. In addition young legs are needed for the constant trapping and switching. I am 50 and when I play with the kids I coach I say choose offens or defense I can't do both and that is the issue with the older heat our defense is physically taxing and something is going to suffer!

The Heat have no problem playing a first year player, but they must SHOW something. We're in the championship business, not the developing business. Cole got meaningful minutes because of his summer league and preseason, also he had lots of success in the collegiate level. You can tell Cole was a fast learner from the start and he was not missing assignments nor ever looked confused on the court.

If Ennis has a very good summer league and preseason, shows that he is not a hole on defense nor offense, he will get playing time.

HEATVols865 · Post #17 » by **HEATVols865** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:33 am

I'm well aware that Mills came from Australia...but he is no rookie and has international experience.
How many players come from that league to the nba? Not many.
Ennis didn't even play against top competition in college...not even close to a power conference schedule.

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gom · Post #18 » by **gom** » Sat Jun 21, 2014 3:21 pm

QueenOfFairies wrote:I'm well aware that Mills came from Australia...but he is no rookie and has international experience.
How many players come from that league to the nba? Not many.
Ennis didn't even play against top competition in college...not even close to a power conference schedule.

Aside from you completely disparaging Australia's league (pretty typical unfortunately), are you even aware of how Ennis played in the Summer League last year? The answer is (in limited minutes) pretty damn well.

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Jam ... mary/31122

Also, the planet that I live on (we call it Earth by the way) has a Long Beach State that routinely plays against Michigan, USC, Kansas, Arizona, San Diego... Maybe they're not a great side, but to say that Ennis shouldn't be taken seriously when he plays well (a PER stat of almost 24 is not negligible in any way) is frankly bizarre. Why don't you like him?

If you say it's his 3 point shot, I agree that it can be better, but I'm sure he's working on that.

All australian team:

http://basketball.realgm.com/internatio ... t-Team/225

What a weird place Realgm is... Australians? People are figuratively creaming their pants over Dante Exum, but James Ennis is completely ignored. It doesn't make sense.

wallsfamily · Post #19 » by **wallsfamily** » Sun Jun 22, 2014 11:45 am

BIRDMAN BIRDMAN wrote:I hope he at least becomes a better version of Dorell Wright. Would be nice if he can be a solid 3&D guy, anything more than that would be a bonus

We could have used a Dorrell Wright!!!!

puppa bear · Post #20 » by **puppa bear** » Mon Jun 23, 2014 3:43 am

QueenOfFairies wrote:This guy will get less minutes than Sean Lampley got when he played for us...wasted roster spot!
Australian basketball? Please...

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Patty Mills the last time he played in the NBL (just before Spurs called him up in 2011/12):
18.6ppg, 42.1 fg%, 34.8 3p%, 80.6 ft%, 5.0 ast, 2.3 reb

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/team_info ... 068-369917

Ennis this year:
21.2 ppg, 46.8 fg%, 35.5 3p%, 77.0 ft%, 2.1 ast, 7.2 rpg

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/team_info ... D=26126268

Considering the impact Mills has now, I'll take that type of projection: explosive bench wing who can contribute in the Finals. Mills played almost 19mpg this year, and is a career 40+% 3-pt shooter in the NBA.