Reviews of the 2025 NBA Draft for the Miami Heat have been somewhat mixed. Some entities have tried to claim the pick of Kasparas Jakucionis was a massive failure after the Heat wound up staying pat at No. 20.
But if you want a sign that Jakucionis is a solid addition to Miami, look no further than one of Miami's most notorious haters praising them for the pick.
Bill Simmons likes the pick of Jakucionis
It's no secret that Bill Simmons is an unabashed Boston Celtics fan, but even he had to admit that Jakucionis adds value to Miami:
"He fills the box score. He's just gonna be good. It really is annoying to me. Then they'll sign Kuminga and guess what? He'll be good for them too. Then all sudden we'll be like Jesus Christ we're back with the Heat? I thought we killed them. We thought they were dead."
The reason for the optimism in Miami, even acknowledged by Simmons, is that Jakucionis was a projected lottery pick who fell into the Heat's lap. Turnovers are a concern with Jakucionis, but he otherwise fills a need for Miami as a ball handler who thrives in pick-and-roll situations.
The guard from Lithuania averaged 15 points per game this past season for Illinois while also shooting above 50%.
The hope with Jakucionis is that it can free up Tyler Herro to be more of an off-the-ball shooter, which suits his game better.
Simmons also referred to Miami's attempt to acquire Jonathan Kuminga, which would suddenly give the Heat a solid young core to build around, along with some cap space to work with heading into next offseason.
Kuminga was injured for an extended stint this past season, but he had averaged over 15 points a game the past two seasons while largely coming off the bench for Golden State.
Oftentimes, you can get a feel for how good a pick was or was not by how your rivals respond to the pick, and if one of Miami's chief rivals thinks it was a good pick, then Heat fans should feel confident too.