After Kasparas Jakucionis fell into the laps of the Miami Heat on NBA Draft night, it's only natural to be excited about his potential. However, former Heat guard Goran Dragic says that the fan base must be patient with the expectations, even though the talent is clearly there with Jakucionis.
It's pretty clear that his rookie season will be more of a redshirt year than one in which he contributes in a big way right away, but that shouldn't discourage the fan base about Jakucionis' future with the team.
Dragic only had glowing remarks when asked about the Jakucionis.
"I went to practice, shared my story. We need to give him time. I was at practice and gave him some pointers. I'm hoping to work with him. I see the talent. We need to get him to play at a higher pace...I think he's a huge talent."Dragic on Jakucionis
There's an expectation - and hope - that Dragic will continue to work with Jakucionis as he makes the jump to the NBA. With how successful a transition Dragic made during his time with the Heat, there's reason to believe that he could be a great mentor for the young guard.
Kasparas Jakucionis needs time
But, as Dragic notes, Jakucionis is going to need time to develop. Thankfully, that's what Miami has the luxury of right now. Heading into what is being described as a "gap" year, the Heat aren't putting a ton of pressure on the shoulders of Jakucionis.
In fact, there are other big issues that the Heat has to sort out themselves before they even begin to think about Jakucionis' future with the team. This year, as the Heat sorts out the futures of Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, and Nikola Jovic, Jakucionis will be able to develop in the shadows.
Will there be times when Jakucionis sees some minutes on the floor? Absolutely. It'd actually be quite shocking if that wasn't the case.
However, this isn't one of those situations where Jakucionis is going to be fighting for a starting spot. Not yet. Not this year. In fact, it'd be somewhat surprising if Jakucionis was in the initial rotation for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, unless, of course, he absolutely turns heads during training camp.
But even then, the Heat should continue to show restraint. The last thing Miami needs to do is to put too much on Jakucionis' plate too quickly.
The bottom line is that Dragic believes in Jakucionis. And if he believes in him, the fan base should too. It just may take a bit more time to reap the benefits of this draft pick. Considering where the Heat finds themselves, that's not necessarily the end of the world.