According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, rival front offices are projecting the Miami Heat to take a guard with the 15th pick in Wednesday night’s draft.
“Rival teams expect the Heat to take a swing on a promising young guard, with Rob Dillingham, Isaiah Collier, Jared McCain and Carrington being among those mentioned most frequently.”
Givony has the Heat taking Carrington, the high upside scoring guard out of Pitt, in his latest mock draft, a change from his previous projection of Purdue center Zach Edey going 15.
The Miami Heat could use the 15th pick to take a big swing on a potential primary scorer.
Carrington’s combination of size, length and shot-making talent makes him one of the more intriguing prospects in his class, and one of the rare players in this range with All-Star potential. (Key word: Potential.)
Selecting Carrington would be a bet on Miami’s development program. Carrington is one of the class’s youngest players at 18 years old and is considered a late bloomer. He will need time and coaching before he can play meaningful minutes, and the Heat’s player development program would be a great landing spot for him.
As for some of the other guards who could be on the board at 15…
Rob Dillingham: Regarded as a top-10 prospect but could slide based on team need and his lack of size (6-foot-2). He’s a knockdown shooter with a dazzling dribble who boasts upside as a lead playmaker and shot-maker. Any team that selects him will need to feel comfortable they can overcome his defensive limitations.
Isaiah Collier: Once in the mix for the top player in his class, Collier’s draft stock has dropped after an underwhelming year at USC. While his outside shot remains shaky and his defensive effort was, at best, inconsistent over his freshman season, there’s no denying his explosive speed and ability to get to the rim. According to Givony, the Heat are taking a real look.
“Collier has perhaps the widest draft range of any prospect, starting at around No. 11 with Chicago and extending to the end of the first round,” Givony wrote. “Teams such as Miami, Toronto, Cleveland and New Orleans are taking deep looks.”
Jared McCain: Check out Brennan Sims’ in-depth look at McCain, but know he’s a lights-out 3-point shooter with playmaking chops and leadership traits.