NBA Draft 2015: The Miami Heat
Tonight, June 25, marks the start of a whole new batch of rookies making their way into the league; the 2015 NBA Draft will air live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Although what this specific draft class will have to offer the professional world of basketball is still yet to be determined, there are certainly a handful of players who are worth keeping an eye on.
Along those lines, the question of who will be selected first this year has many people on the edge of their seats. While the Minnesota Timberwolves will more than likely walk away with Karl-Anthony Towns, a center from Kentucky, fellow big man Jahlil Okafor (Duke) also stands a chance.
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After having only participated in the lottery three times before (during the Pat Riley era), the Miami Heat have landed the No. 10 pick, after finishing the 2014-2015 season with a record of 37-45. In 2003, they took Dwyane Wade at No. 3, after he was passed up by the Detroit Pistons. Michael Beasley came aboard in 2008 (the same year as Mario Chalmers), when the Heat had the worst record in the league. And then of course in 2010, Miami gave it’s pick away to the Cleveland Cavaliers of all teams, in order to sign LeBron James and form the Big Three.
Currently, the top contenders for Miami seem to be Stanley Johnson (Arizona), Devin Booker (Kentucky), Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), Kelly Oubre (Kansas), Frank Kamisky (Wisconsin), Myles Turner (Texas), Cameron Payne (Murray State) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona). All of course have their positive attributes, as well as questionable traits. For example, while Booker would help the Heat out from the beyond-the-arc, Oubre has the defensive capabilities needed to win games. Similarly, Dekker would do well with the rhythm Miami likes to play at, but can be inconsistent with his shots.
Regardless of who the Heat select, this draft will have a direct effect on the rest of the decisions the organization has to make during the offseason.
With Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng potentially opting out of their contracts, and Chris Andersen and Mario Chalmers on the chopping block, things are up in the air for Miami right now. Come the fall, the team could look very different.
So who will become the newest member of Heat Nation? The answer to that will be revealed in just a couple of hours. “The Miami Heat are on the clock…”