6 players who could be available when the Heat pick at No. 14
By Wes Goldberg
Luke Kennard, SG, Duke
Age: 20
Height: 6-foot-6
Wingspan: 6-foot-5
Weight: 196 pounds
Pros:
- One of the best pure shooters in the draft (43.8 percent on 5.4 3-point attempts per game).
- Has combo guard skills and could develop into a team’s secondary ball handler
- Great intangibles
- High basketball IQ
Cons:
- Limited athleticism defensively, may not ever be better than average
- Not a great leaper and could struggle to finish at the rim
Lowdown:
Luke Kennard draws obvious comparisons to former-Duke sharpshooter J.J. Redick and for good reason. Both are 3-point shooting specialists with enough of a handle to attack closeouts, with high basketball IQs to fit into any NBA offense. Kennard, at the very least, will be a nice floor spacer at the professional level. However, the question is about his upside. Can Kennard improve defensively and avoid being a liability like Redick did earlier in his career?
The Heat are loaded at guard already, but drafting Kennard would be a value play that could make Tyler Johnson expendable, or insurance if Dion Waiters leaves in free agency.