It may be time for Erik Spoelstra to unleash Kasparas Jakucionis, who could emerge as the Miami Heat's secret weapon that no one will see coming. The rookie point guard is impressing in the G League, and it's only a matter of time until he gets the permanent call-up to the main rotation.
And especially with how much the Heat has struggled of late, it's looking more and more like Jakucionis could be a pivot that Spo considers strongly.
The Heat's secret weapon is Kasparas Jakucionis
In eight games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat's G League affiliate, Jakucionis is averaging 17 points, six rebounds, and six assists on 42 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from 3-point range.
As a true playmaker, there's reason to believe that he could help solve some of Miami's offensive woes. Over the last few games, the Heat has struggled to create offense, both on the break and in the half-court.
Perhaps it may be foolish to think that Jakucionis, especially in his first year in the NBA, can solve their entire issue, but he could emerge as a spark for the team on that end of the floor. And, sometimes, that's all teams need to get back on the right track.
While Jakucionis is still a very raw player, clearly in the early stages of his development, if there's one part of his game that the Heat would benefit from right away, it's his playmaking.
Jakucionis is still developing as a shooter and scorer offensively, but he's a natural playmaker and may already be the best one on the roster. He just hasn't had a shot to prove himself.
Looking for some precedent to the way Spo operates, it was around late-December last season when Kel'el Ware, who was a rookie at the time, began to get consistent minutes for the Heat. Because of that, there's reason to believe that Jakucionis could follow a similar developmental path.
And if the Heat do believe that he's closer to contributing than being further away, his timeline may only be expedited with how much the Heat has struggled of late.
At the very least, it's certainly an option that the Heat will have at their disposal and give them something to think about over these next few weeks.
Sure, you'd have to imagine that Spo's priority right now is to get Tyler Herro in a position where he's comfortable within the Heat's new offensive system. However, there's another pivot that Spo can make, which involves Jakucionis as a secret weapon that perhaps no one would see coming.