Shane Battier is best known as a plus-defender who doesn't typically make an impact in the box score, but the Miami Heat's glue guy has taken on a bit of a scoring role early on in the NBA Finals. He's not a go-to scorer by any means, but the veteran wing is taking advantage of every one of his shots.
NBA Finals: Shane Battier’s Shooting, Not Stellar Defense, Taking Center Stage
Battier played in 65 games for the Heat during the regular season, starting 10 of them on his way to a pretty meager 4.8 points per game. He's really turned it on in the Finals though and is averaging nearly 15 points per game through Miami's first three games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nearly tripling his scoring average on the NBA’s biggest stage is impressive enough, but the efficiency in which Battier is doing it is simply outstanding. The former Blue Devil has made 11 of his 15 three-point attempts on his way to a 73.7 shooting percentage from the field. His true-shooting percentage -- which takes into account that getting three points per shot is worth more than its two-point counterpart -- is an outstanding 101.4 percent.
There are enough weapons to deal with when it comes to Miami that Battier’s offensive output is simply icing on the cake ... but it’s a really sweet icing considering its timing.
For more on the game, stick with our 2012 NBA Finals, Game 3 StoryStream. For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For more on the Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City and SB Nation Kansas City.
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