In order for Kasparas Jakucionis to become the steal so many NBA draft pundits made him out to be, he'll need to have much better fortune on the health front. It's not even the end of preseason yet, and Miami's prized pick has already encountered two injury issues: first, a sprained wrist, and now hip soreness.
While neither ailment is considered serious, the 19-year-old is still missing out on developmental reps that his struggles at summer league suggested he really needs. Moreover, he might be missing out on an opportunity to carve out his spot in the regular-season rotation, which would be, objectively speaking, a huge bummer, since his playmaking prowess could help this offense where it most needs a lift.
Hopes remain high for Jakucionis, but if his availability issues persist, he won't even get the chance to be the dream-come-true so many envisioned on draft night.
Jakucionis has only appeared in two of the team's first five preseason games.
Even if Jakucionis' injury issues aren't long-term concerns, they could still have an adverse impact on his short-term outlook.
While Miami's backcourt group arguably lacks quality—yes, even at full-strength—quantity isn't necessarily an issue. Between Davion Mitchell, Dru Smith, and yes, Terry Rozier, the Heat have three players not named Jakucionis who can run point in Tyler Herro's absence. And that's before getting into any funky combinations that Erik Spoelstra's creative coaching mind might be running through.
In other words, Miami was never going to just hand over minutes to Jakucionis. His role, however big it was supposed to be, would have to be earned. And right now, the injury bug is preventing him from even submitting an application for the role.
It's unfortunate for a lot of reasons, but it's especially worrisome when weighed against the impact he could potentially make. Despite the limited look, he's still been Miami's most prolific passer this preseason, averaging a team-high 5.5 assists against just 2.0 turnovers. Perhaps not coincidentally, he's also the clubhouse leader in plus/minus at plus-7.0 points per game.
His skill set is one this squad really needs, and that's true even with his scoring arsenal appearing rough-around-the-edges. There is a creativity to his game that simply isn't possessed by many of his teammates. His individual point production should come, too, as his craft and shooting mechanics point to legitimate potential as a three-level scorer.
He can be, in theory at least, every bit of the draft steal folks thought Miami was getting with this year's No. 20 pick. Unfortunately, he can't put that into practice until he's actually on the floor, which he hasn't been nearly often enough so far.