As the NBA Draft approaches, the Miami Heat have had their eye on a couple of forwards, but the common wisdom out of most mock drafts is that they will select a guard with the No. 20 pick.
A recent mock draft from Sports Illustrated has the Heat selecting a guard whose father is someone NBA fans are very familiar with.
Will the Miami Heat select Jase Richardson at No. 20?
Jase Richardson is the son of longtime NBA player Jason Richardson. The younger Richardson is listed at 6'3" and was a freshman this past season with Michigan State.
On film, there is a lot to like about Richardon's bag of tricks to score. He is an outstanding catch-and-shoot player, but he also looks comfortable attacking the basket off the dribble. Richardson had an NBA-like finish at the rim this year with the Spartans, where he would either switch hands at the rim, stop and fade, or give a little floater to get the ball in the hoop.
And for someone who likes to drive to the rim, he didn't turn the ball over much and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of two to one.
The primary question mark with Richardson is why was he not more involved with the offense?
He averaged 12 points a game and shot from three at a clip of over 40%, but he didn't attempt more than ten shots in a game until February, and even then, his assist totals seldom went over two or three per game.
He's also not the most explosive guy, but unlike some others, those previously mentioned bag of tricks to score should help him compensate.
Does Richardson fit the Miami Heat?
Richardson's 20 points in the Sweet 16 against Ole Miss showcased the type of ceiling that he has in the NBA. His 4-13 shooting performance with just one assist against Auburn in the Elite Eight also demonstrates the growing pains that he could have.
Richardson is going to be a capable scorer in the NBA, and athleticism concerns aside, his game translates to the league better than most.
The question for the Heat is whether they want Tyler Herro to continue handling the ball or if they want a true point guard to allow Herro to be more of an off-the-ball player.
If the Heat want an explosive point guard who will beat guys off the dribble and draw a crowd to distribute out of, Richardson might not be the guy.
If the Heat just need a guy who can find ways to score, and they will figure out how to make it work later, then Richardson is a fine pick.