The Miami Heat should be right in the thick of NBA Draft preparation. With a slew of talented players to choose from, what is their approach going to be?
The Miami Heat were right on the cusp of a playoff berth this past season. Unfortunately though, there is no trophy nor recognition for being right on the cusp. As many great teams build, rebuild, or simply re-tool via the Draft, how will the Heat approach their next opportunity to add to their team?
Draft for Value
The Miami Heat could choose to take a more common approach when it comes to selecting a collegiate athlete to join their team. They could draft for value here, and often times, that takes of the form of drafting the best player available when they pick.
Being tied with the Charlotte Hornets and the Sacramento Kings for the 12th, 13th, and 14th most odds of landing the number one overall pick, this could actually play out one of a few ways. If they land near the top, it could mean getting a seemingly no-brainer with a pick like Zion Williams or Ja Morant. Unfortunately though, they are more likely to stay in that 12-14 range, which would then leave quite a few different players for consideration here.
Draft for Need
If the Miami Heat wanted to take a more specific approach to the draft process, this is the way they could do it. Needing quite a few things more than others, with those mainly being a guy who can go get a bucket on his own and outside shooting, they could decide to go for someone who fits one or both of those bills. When you think about needing players who could perhaps fit both those descriptions, and who are likely to go in the range of the Miami Heat’s pick, a few names come to mind.
The Heat could opt to go with North Carolina’s Coby White, who although was more of a point guard this season at UNC, has the shooting ability to spot up and hit daggers. They could even take a hard look at Kentucky’s Tyler Herro, a smooth and sharp-shooting guard who has good size, and has shown a willingness to defend at a high level. If they wanted to go the route of someone who projects as a professional scorer, Indiana’s Romeo Langford could very well be around when the Miami Heat select as well.
Draft for Depth/Trade the Pick
Drafting for Depth, perhaps while getting the most value and filling a need, would be the suggestion from this direction. If you want to know just how this might look, it involves using the value of the lottery pick to possibly move back and acquire more players and/or assets.
Although the Miami Heat have definitive needs, the NBA Draft is just as much a crap shoot as any aspect of player acquisitions. The best approach here for a team such as the Heat, who have great pieces in certain places already and shouldn’t want to upset the apple cart, would be to maximize the potential value of their pick.
An example of this would be to try to move back in the draft, moving their lottery pick for a later first round pick along with other picks or as apart of a package to acquire a player. If they were to move their lottery pick in example for a later pick, it would look something like taking a Ty Jerome out of Virginia or a Carsen Edwards of Purdue, both of whom can act as the lead ball handler and add something to the outside shooting department for the Miami Heat.
As apart of that trade, perhaps acquiring a future first or multiple seconds, they could then either use those picks for players or assets in other transactions. If they decided to move their pick, say as apart of a package in order to acquire a Jimmy Butler or a Bradley Beal, that explains itself.
There are a few approaches that the Miami Heat can take as we near the draft, even outside of the above mentioned. Although these would probably be among the most desirable if the object was to improve as quick as possible, NBA front office personnel never cease to amaze. Let’s hope Pat Riley and the crew have it all figured out.