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Miami Heat should stay far away from Talen Horton-Tucker

By Richard Nurse

AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 25: Tyrese Haliburton #22 of the Iowa State Cyclones and Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones run down in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 25, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 78-61 over the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 25: Tyrese Haliburton #22 of the Iowa State Cyclones and Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones run down in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 25, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 78-61 over the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /
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Iowa State’s Talen Horton-Tucker may be good, but he is not what the Miami Heat need in the NBA Draft.

As the NBA draft lottery nears, fan bases will begin to hear about all of their team’s mock draft hopes, wants and needs. Yet, no one ever counters with why said players should be avoided. However, count Iowa State’s Talen Horton-Tucker as someone the Miami Heat should admire from a far.

When it comes to Miami’s draft board, the common names mentioned are those of Tucker, Kevin Porter Jr., Sekou Doumbouya and Romeo Langford. All players who fit into one of two molds: individuals who embody coach Erik Spoelstra’s love of positionless basketball or potential scorers.

According to ESPN’s pre-draft analysis, Tucker is a multifaceted fit:

"“A hefty playmaker who can shift anywhere from floor general to power forward. He’s competitive and powerful with an excellent feel for the game, polished handle and developing 3-point stroke…”“Despite standing 3.5 inches shorter, Horton-Tucker compares favorably by other measurables to Draymond Green, and his ability to slide up to the 4 on defense yet operate as a point guard on offense could make him appealing to outside-the-box front offices.”"

If this sounds familiar to Heat fans, this is because descriptions of Tucker are literally a combination of what Justise Winslow was supposed to be with what he is finally becoming. Except in a package that is 14 pounds heavier and three feet shorter.

A 7’1 wingspan helps the optics, however, Tucker is undersized for his natural position of small forward. And with Winslow and Goran Dragic on the roster, he would likely spend the majority of his time in warmups if he shied towards point guard.

Not to mention the time it would take to carve him into ideal Heat shape.

To be honest, Tucker’s 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game are not terrible. Neither are his 40.6 percent shooting from the field or 30.8 percent from three. However, the Heat should avoid players in need of development right now.

What they need is defined roles and someone with a scorer’s skill set. Not a duplicate Winslow in need of four years-worth of grooming.

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The draft’s lack of elite depth will cause teams to be tied to a multitude of players, but Miami should only be zeroed in on something they do not have. Which is someone who can replace a bit of Dwyane Wade’s offensive production off of the bench.

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