As the Miami Heat prepare for their first season of the Giannis Antetokounmpo experience, depth (and specifically in the backcourt) has become one of the bigger talking points heading into the new year. And understandably so.
However, if Louisville head basketball coach Pat Kelsey is right in his "scouting report" of rookie Ryan Conwell, there's reason to believe that he could offer the Heat everything they need in an unlikely emergence this season.
From Louisville basketball coach Pat Kelsey:
“He’s a terrific scorer, terrific shooter, high-IQ player....The thing to me that really separates Ryan are the things you can’t measure with statistics. It’s the intangibles, it’s the work ethic and the character. He’s an elite shooter. There is no question about that.”
The Heat are big believers in Ryan Conwell
It's not a surprise to hear that Conwell's former coach is one of his big fans. And, at least to a certain extent, much of this has to be taken with a grain of salt. After all, what would you expect his former coach to say? But it does speak to the potential that the Heat saw in him on draft night. Miami traded up a few spots in order to draft Conwell early in the second round, at least in part because they wanted to ensure that they were able to get him.
They clearly felt he could be an intriguing addition to the team, even if it does come with some sort of developmental process. Conwell is not expected to play a big role for the Heat right away, much less be considered a finished product by any means.
But if there's even a little truth in his former coach's words, it's not out of the realm of possibility to see Conwell carve out a consistent role by the end of this season. The Heat, especially with their backcourt concerns behind Davion Mitchell, would certainly embrace it.
If Conwell can emerge as a consistent 3-point shooter and perhaps even a spot-scorer off the bench, he's a piece that could easily fit. Add in the work ethic and effort, and it won't be long until he finds himself in the good graces of the coaching staff.
Even under the assumption that it may not happen right away, there's reason for the Heat to be optimistic about Conwell's rookie season that goes well beyond his former coach's thoughts.
It didn't take long for Conwell to leave an impression with the Heat in summer league, leading to the team shutting him down early to curb the risk of injury.
The signs are already there to suggest that Conwell could be the Heat's next hidden gem. And his former coach's words just reinforce that at just the right time.
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