Pat Riley: Dwyane Wade ‘Could Become A 40 Percent Three-Point Shooter’

By all accounts, Dwyane Wade seemed to have lost confidence in his ability to make a three-point shot last season. Only 3.7 percent of his attempts were from downtown, and of those shots, he connected on an NBA-worst 15.9 percent of them.

But things miraculously changed in the Playoffs. Wade made 12-23 from three—good for the second-highest percentage among players who attempted at least 20 treys this postseason.

Encouraged by Wade’s performance in the Playoffs, Heat president Pat Riley, in his exit interview this week, told the media that he believes the three-point shot could become a bigger part of Wade’s game next season.

Wade, infamously regarded as one of the worst three-point shooters of all time, could breathe new life into his career if he was able to develop a reliable outside shot.

From the Miami Herald:

Wade, whose three-point shooting percentage is second lowest in history (.284) and ahead of only Charles Barkley among players with at least 1,000 attempts, hit 12 of 23 threes in the playoffs, and Riley sees opportunity for growth here.

 

“The threes I saw him make, every time he lifted and released, I said, ‘This has got a chance,’” Riley said. “And the ones before, when he was jacking them up, they had no chance. He is going to need that a little bit, too, next year.

 

“Maybe he could become a 40 percent, 38 percent three-point shooter. I wouldn’t give him an open look. Once he went to work with the coaches on it, that shot, if he had to take it, was normal. That would be a big added part of his game next year because nobody ever thinks he can do that.”