The Miami Heat got it right when they took Bam Adebayo at 14 in 2017, but if he wasn’t there, what do they do? Take Josh Jackson if he falls is the answer.
The Miami Heat are known for a few things. They are known for their immense conditioning and fitness requirements. It is a well-known secret that those that go there end up being in the best shape of their lives.
They are known for their relentless commitment to winning and being a winning franchise. This means that no matter how it could impact their draft positioning, no matter how jockeying to play a certain team in the playoffs might impact their chances, no matter the circumstances, the Miami Heat are all about winning.
One of the last major things they are known for is being able to take the league’s trash and turn it into their own gold. Look no further than the Portland Trail Blazers’ Hassan Whiteside.
Drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the second round of 2010, he was a pariah until the Miami Heat plucked him from obscurity. Several years later and off of one $100 million dollar deal, the big man from the Tar Heel State is primed for yet another big payday.
Looking back at the 2017 NBA draft and in a re-draft scenario, the stud we took at 14 is unavailable, with Bam Adebayo being scooped up at four by the Pheonix Suns. In a swap of a scenario, their original pick there in Josh Jackson slipped to Miami at 14.
While he has had quite a few issues since originally entering the league, the Miami Heat would be the ideal landing spot for him. While the area of Miami would be a bit of a challenge for him, obviously based on his history, this is something that I believe the Miami Heat brass could work with.
Immensely physically gifted, the Miami Heat could take that ability and harness it into, at worst, one of the most lethal defenders you ever saw. He came out of college as a three & D guy who needed to work on his jump shot, but his athleticism, defending ability, and finishing alone could have been made use of in South Beach.
While we are undoubtedly happy about how things went in reality, us taking Bam, this wouldn’t have been that bad. If the Miami Heat would have gotten Josh Jackson, he would certainly still be with them. Perhaps, he would even be close to reaching the potential ceiling that got him drafted at four in the first place.