5 power forwards the Miami Heat could target in the 2017 NBA Draft
By Frank Urbina
Tyler Lydon (Syracuse)
Syracuse sophomore Tyler Lydon is a player that the Heat could target if they were to acquire a second first round pick. He’s currently projected to go just after the lottery, at the 17th pick to the Atlanta Hawks, by Draft Express.
Lydon has average size and length for a power forward. He’s 6-foot-9, with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. Despite that, he’s a bouncy athlete, who, like Bridges, is more explosive jumping off of two feet:
However, unlike Bridges, Lydon lacks strength. Which is going to be a major talking point for his stock from now until the draft. If he doesn’t get stronger, he doesn’t stand a chance defensively at the NBA level. He wasn’t blessed with the foot quickness to defend on the perimeter like a lot of the aforementioned prospects in his class.
The sophomore could also stand to become more aggressive. He shies away from contact when driving the basketball and when posting up, too.
Despite the slight flaws to his game, Lydon is a terrific shooter. He’s making 41 percent of his three-pointers, while averaging 12 points and eight rebounds per game. Even with his relatively weak frame, Lydon is still an adept rebounder, thanks to his instincts and hops. He’s also quick for a big man, and not only does damage as a pick-and-pop four, but also when slipping the pick-and-roll.
Though he doesn’t have the upside of a Markkanen, or a Bridges, Lydon could still be a nice back-up plan at power forward for the Heat.
Stick with me for a second. Imagine the Heat trade Dragic to the Chicago Bulls, in exchange for the permanently-disgruntled Rajon Rondo and Chicago’s first round pick. That would leave Miami in a very favorable position.
The Heat would really speed up the process by getting rid of Dragic. He’s the team’s either best or second-best player, and the offense looks awful in minutes he’s not on the floor. I know “on/off” stats don’t back up my claim, but we could use the good ole’ eye test for this one. Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson aren’t pure point guards like Dragic, and don’t run the offense anywhere near as well.
So Miami ends up losing more games, and secures a top-five pick. With that pick, they take a player like Malik Monk or Josh Jackson, who could quickly help the team’s scoring issues from the wing. And with the Heat’s second first round pick, from the Bulls (which projects to be between 15-18), they take a guy like Lydon, who they could eventually groom into a legitimate NBA stretch four.
I know, that’s a lot of speculation. But hey, when your team is 10-21 and the injury issues just won’t go away, there’s not much else to do but look to the future and speculate.
That’s all for today, Heat fans. Next time, we look at the small forwards of the 2017 Draft. There are a couple of really talented wings currently projected to go in the top ten, and you should start to get to know them well.