Miami Heat take Kira Lewis Jr at 20th in CBS’s latest mock draft
The latest mock draft from CBS Sports has the Miami Heat taking point guard Kira Lewis Jr with the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Miami Heat and the NBA playoffs are raging on, but a number of fanbases have already turned their attention to the 2020 NBA Draft. It was the Minnesota Timberwolves who won the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery and rights to the upcoming first overall pick just last week.
But Miami, in their own prestige amongst the rest of the playoff teams, will select their next rookie at the 20th overall pick. Gary Parrish, in his latest mock draft for CBS Sports, has the Heat drafting sophomore point guard Kira Lewis Jr out of Alabama University:
"“Kira Lewis played two seasons of college basketball at Alabama–one for Avery Johnson, and the other for Nate Oats. But he’ll still only be 19-years old on the night of the draft. So he’s young, which is considered a positive. But he’s really light, which is a little bit of negative.”"
It’s no surprise to see that Pat Riley and the front office may be in the market for a rookie point guard come October–or whenever the NBA Draft is eventually held. Veteran Goran Dragic is headed for free agency, and rookie Kendrick Nunn has proven expendable in this playoffs.
Lewis Jr is a projected first-round pick, after leading the Crimson Tide to 16-15, and the second round of the SEC Tournament before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under first-year head coach Nate Oats he averaged 18.5 points, 5.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 31 games as starting point guard. As Parrish notes above, his size is one of the larger concerns: he’s just 165 pounds at 6-3, with a 6-5 wingspan.
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Lewis is just 19 years old, and will inevitably bulk up. Until then, expect turnovers in driving situations and in the paint. He averaged 3.5 turnovers per game with Alabama this year.
On the plus side, it seems Lewis has a three-point shot that will only warm up when introduced to the NBA level. He knocked down 1.8 of his 4.9 attempts from deep his sophomore season. That alone has become a near-prerequisite before being considered in South Beach.
The Miami Heat are some of the NBA’s best when it comes to the three-ball, and may soon be shopping for a short-term answer at point guard. If Lewis is on the board at 20, expect Riley and this front office to strongly consider the 19-year old with their first-round pick.
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The 2020 NBA Draft is a ways away, predictably taking place in late October to early November. In the meantime, the Miami Heat are still in play for a shot at the 2020 NBA Finals. They’re currently waiting on their opponent for the Conference Semi-Finals to be determined.