Miami Heat Draft: Should they take a look at DePaul’s Paul Reed at 20?

The Miami Heat have shown the ability to get the most out of young players. Could Paul Reed be the next in line there for Miami?

Struggles:

Reed’s decision making is questionable. Sometimes he can become an over-driver to the rim.

He forces himself into tricky situations, which often leads to bad passes or hanging in the air to long, which then leads to an offensive foul. Either way, it puts his team in a prime position to commit a turnover and that is something he must clean up.

To be fair and with the previous revelation, we have to admit that Reed draws a lot of charges due to being out of control. Again, it’s something he must clean up, but potentially worth the risk with the rest of his upside.

Reed does not have a true post-game but at times shows flashes, so there is some room to grow from the post. Reed needs to get stronger and you would like to see him gain 10-15 pounds to fill out his upper body.

Even though Reed has the ability to guard multiple positions, he needs to stay on his feet more, He needs to be more disciplined because he has the ability to be a good defender.

When teams ran pick and roll on him, Reed would, more times than not, go for the block instead of staying on his feet. Even when Reed would stay on his feet, defending with his feet, they would move but not his body. It’s a weird thing, but that’s what happens with him.

That is something that can be easily worked on though. Reed’s jumper needs some work, but even though his jumper’s form isn’t great, he still shot around 30% from three and around 74% on free throws.

If I had a say, I would like to see his jump shot have a higher release point, as Reed needs to use that wingspan on his jumper instead of short arming it. With the right people at the helm, such as the Miami Heat’s developmental staff, Reed could turn out to be one heck of a player.

Conclusion: 

Paul Reed is a very interesting prospect with a lot of upside. He has all the makings of a Miami Heat player.

With his motor and getting the chance to be in Miami’s system, it could be huge for his career. Reed is raw, no doubt, but that does not mean he can’t help a team right now.

Again it needs to be with the right team and organization though. This means one that’ll know for sure how to help him develop. If they can develop the tools he has, he could be special and we all know Miami is the place for that.