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Three angles the Miami Heat could take during the NBA Draft

By Richard Nurse

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 28: Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura (21) gets a high five from Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins (13) during the NCAA Division I Men's Championship Sweet Sixteen round basketball game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Gonzaga Bulldogs on March 28, 2019 at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 28: Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura (21) gets a high five from Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins (13) during the NCAA Division I Men's Championship Sweet Sixteen round basketball game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Gonzaga Bulldogs on March 28, 2019 at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 28: Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura (21) gets a high five from Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins (13) during the NCAA Division I Men’s Championship Sweet Sixteen round basketball game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Gonzaga Bulldogs on March 28, 2019 at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Plenty of players will be scouted, but do the Miami Heat have as many NBA Draft options as they believe?

Locks, prospects and lies. These are the common themes that make every draft process tough to decipher for fans of the NBA and the Miami Heat alike.

Take for instance, Kevin Porter Jr. and Cam Reddish both insisting they had meetings with the Heat, only to have both claims rebuffed in the media. A week and a half later, it was announced that Porter would be meeting with the team in June.

The previous denial could have been a ploy to keep Porter’s name from bubbling above his projected slot or maybe just a matter of semantics. Either way the weeks leading up to the NBA Draft will become as muddled as what the Heat might do with the 13th pick.

With that said, let us take a look at a few picks that have yet to be explored on the site.

Potential

When one hears potential the initial thoughts are usually shifted towards a freshman underclassmen from one of college basketball’s blue bloods. Yet, this time around the word is being used for a 6’8″ junior out of Gonzaga named, Rui Hachimura.

On the surface, Hachimura checks off plenty of boxes for a modern-day NBA pro. He has quick feet, the ability to play either forward position and is a mid-range monster. He even sported a 41.7 percent average from behind the 3-point line.

However, that is where things become tricky. His 3-point percentage was gained through only 36 attempts on the season and his defense is underdeveloped–indicative of his three years of experience playing basketball in the United States.

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 19: Nassir Little #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels hangs on the rim after dunking against against the St. Francis Red Flash during the first half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on November 19, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 19: Nassir Little #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels hangs on the rim after dunking against against the St. Francis Red Flash during the first half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on November 19, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

North Carolina’s Nassir Little is another one of those players with potential who may fall into range for the Miami Heat.

The Florida native underwhelmed in his freshman year averaging just 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. But despite his shaky ball-handling skills and paltry 3-point shooting–29 percent–scouts believe that he could have the intangibles to grow.

At this point in his career, Little is more of a fast break and energy guy, so this pick would be strictly about future development.

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