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Miami Heat: What the team can get out of Marcus Lee

By Allana Tachauer

LAS VEAGS, NV - JULY 16: Marcus Lee #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jeff Ayres #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers jump for possession of the ball during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 16, 2018 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEAGS, NV - JULY 16: Marcus Lee #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jeff Ayres #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers jump for possession of the ball during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 16, 2018 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Miami Heat are steadily adding to their training camp roster, most recently having signed forward Marcus Lee.

With the start of the 2018-19 NBA season just around the corner, it’s time for teams to start making some decisions about their training camp roster.

While this may seem like nothing but semantics for most ball clubs, the same can’t be said in regards to the Miami Heat. With the organization often calling up talent from their affiliate G-League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, one never knows who could turn into the franchise’s next star.

(Just look at Tyler Johnson and Hassan Whiteside, who both now have major contracts attached to their names.)

The latest player the Heat have their eyes on is Marcus Lee, whose signing they announced on Wednesday early afternoon.

Lee, a former University of Kentucky Wildcat, went undrafted in 2018, after initially planning on entering the 2016 draft as well. Instead, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, and finished out his collegiate career.

As a senior, he saw time in and started 32 games, averaging 11.4 points on 56.3 percent shooting from the field, alongside 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.6 blocks a contest, in 27.8 minutes of play. He finished eighth on the Golden Bears’ all-time list with blocks in a season (52), and topped Kentucky’s single-season shooting record (68.0 percent from the field), as a junior.

This summer, the forward played on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Summer League team, having averaged 6.1 points on 21-of-30 shooting from the field, as well as 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over five Las Vegas games (all of which he started).

And he got some people talking.

At 6-foot-11, he’s a problem on both ends of the court.

Offensively, he bullies his way into the post, ultimately creating efficient looks for himself. And defensively, he possesses the ability to lock down almost any opponent, not just with size but with a comprehensive understanding of where on the floor he’s best suited, at all times.

All aspects that fit nicely within Miami Heat Basketball.

Sure, the 23-year-old isn’t necessarily a jack-of-all trades, unlike big man Kelly Olynyk who can also splash a 3 with ease or Justise Winslow who has developed into a point guard. But Lee is more than just a body in the way.

He becomes his own playmaker down-low, while also assisting others with his highly effective screens. And shows some level of versatility on defense, adjusting his strategy based on who he’s guarding.

Is Lee ready for the big stage yet? Probably not. But there’s no doubt he’s got potential that an organization like the Skyforce can work with.

Next. Miami Heat: 3 Goals for Rodney McGruder in 2018-19. dark

The countdown to Miami Heat training camp starts now.

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