Nov 26, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) celebrates with guard Tyler Herro (14) after scoring against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Which Miami Heat player benefits most from heaves rule?

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI
By Ethan J. Skolnick | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 10:42 AM ET

The best players in Miami Heat history knew how to play one particular "game" better than anyone.

Back in the Big 3 days, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James would joke about how they would hold the ball just past the buzzer, so as not to reduce their field goal percentages with some pointless hoist from 50 feet. And it was obvious as you watched them hesitate ever so slightly before launching. In the 2012-13 season, James didn't have any heaves at all; Wade had just two, and Mario Chalmers (of course) led the Heat with three. Chalmers had no fear of anything, let alone a slight stat hit.

That isn't necessary for NBA players anymore, not after a new rule has been implemented, counting missed "heaves" against the team statistics but NOT against the players' statistics.

NBA has announced that "end-of-period heaves" will count as a missed FG attempt for teams, and will NOT count towards a players' FG%, per @ShamsCharania

You rocking with this rule change? pic.twitter.com/QkPmEuCGXm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 10, 2025

So who does this help most on the Heat? Well, it's only marginal, since no Heat player was credited with more than four heaves last season by Basketball Reference. And that player isn't likely to get many of those chances this season, having gone from starter to out of the rotation and the trade block.

The answer is Terry Rozier.

Rozier led the Heat with four heaves last season -- though maybe it was tough to tell, since his shot selection was a little questionable in general.

Next? Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware all had two heaves. Five other Heat players had one, including Jimmy Butler prior to his departure. (Incoming guard Norman Powell led the Clippers with three.)

Bam Adebayo was heave-less. Zero. Zilch.

Adebayo isn't alone in this aversion -- Kevin Durant hasn't had one since 2018. Got to keep those stats as clean as possible.

Nikola Jokić is one of the BIGGEST beneficiaries to the NBA's new 'heave rule' where half-court shots at the end of quarters are not counted towards a player's percentages.

Last season, Jokic attempted a LEAGUE-HIGH 22 half-court heaves and would've seen an increase of nearly 3%… pic.twitter.com/5mIY6T1cAk
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) September 11, 2025

For some brave stars, like Nikola Jokic, this should be a boon to shooting percentages. And to fans, who have been known to scream "shoot it!" -- as players coyly took an extra dribble.

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This article first appeared on Miami Heat on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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