Miami Heat Draft Review

Current Roster
PG: Goran Dragic/Tyler Johnson
SG: Josh Richardson/Wayne Ellington
SF: Justise Winslow/Rodney McGruder
PF: Josh McRoberts/Okaro White
C: Hassan Whiteside/Bam Adebayo

2017 Free Agents
Unrestricted
F Luke Babbit
F Udonis Haslam
F James Johnson
F Willie Reed
G Dion Waiters

Who They Drafted
1-14 Bam Adebayo, C Kentucky
The Heat went off the board a little bit for their only selection of the night, a "reach" though probably not to them, which is what actually matters, not what pundits think. That said Adebayo is an interesting selection for the Heat because a lot of what he does duplicates Hassan Whiteside, though he does have some other strengths that Whiteside doesn't and could make him a better modern NBA fit down the line. Adebayo's 243 pound frame and 9-foot standing reach mean he should be able to play center in the NBA, which is good because that is where his offensive skillset fits best, as a roll man and lob threat like Whitside (though without his desire to post up, thank goodness). While he has flashed a jumper in workouts, it is fair to be skeptical since he a) did it rarely in college and b) when he did do it, he was horrible at it, shooting 31% away from the rim and 65% from the line. Defensively, Adebayo isn't particularly impressive as a shot blocker, though he will run into them do to his length and athletic ability, nor is he at all a good rebounder, which is especially disappointing, grabbing only 14.3% of available rebounds at Kentucky (for reference, that would be tied for fortieth among centers in the NBA last season, Whiteside was third). One advantage Adebayo does have defensively over Whiteside is his ability to comfortably switch, which is a skill that makes him project to be a valuable NBA defender who can defend on the perimeter, unlike Whiteside who prefers to hang back and look for shots to block. The Heat would occasionally take Whiteside out of the fourth quarter of games last season and Adebayo could be the guy that gets those minutes down the line. Where the Heat will have to work with him, and this is something they do very well, is to get him to play hard more consistently, Adebayo has all the physical gifts in the world but his lack of effort at times is what caused his overall lack of production and the reason many weren't as high on him.

What They Need Going Forward
The Heat have two higher level players, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside, and then five grit-and-grind-y, high effort guard/forwards that have some skills but are flawed in one way or another. All five of these players are good to great defensive players and they make up the backbone of Miami's defense. Basically, this roster is prime for an injection of a star or two, preferably at the forward spots. Power forward, in particular is a weak spot for the Heat, as Josh McRoberts and Okaro White are the only true 4s on the roster; neither should be starters or even perhaps even rotation players. The big fish they need to go after are Blake Griffin, Paul Millsap, and Gordon Heyward. I like the fit of Griffin especially, as he has a lot of familiarity playing with a Whiteside-esque player in DeAndre Jordan and would really add another dimension to their offense. Millsap would help them in similar ways, and while Heyward is more of a wing, he could work in combination with Justise Winslow and would instantly the Heat's best player. If they aren't playing in the top of the market, there are any number of power forwards they could look at to fill the hole at that position.

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2015 Draft Preview: Miami Heat

2015-16 Depth Chart
PG: Mario Chalmers/Shabazz Napier
SG: Tyler Johnson/Zoran Dragic
SF: James Ennis/Bill Henry Walker
PF: Chris Bosh/Josh McRoberts/Udonis Haslam
C: Hassan Whiteside/Chris Anderson

2015 Free Agents
F Michael Beasley (team option)
PG Goran Dragic (player option)
SF Luol Deng (player option)
SG Dwyane Wade (player option)

2015 Draft Picks
1-10
2-10(40)

Team Needs
Assuming that Goran Dragic, Luol Deng, and Dwyane Wade all opt-in or re-sign, Miami's starting lineup will be both set and stacked. However, depth is a real issue. James Ennis has potential to be a solid 3-and-D wing off of the bench if his shooting improves and Mario Chalmers is a decent backup point guard. But other than that... Chris Anderson will be 37 and Josh McRoberts is coming off of a torn meniscus, Considering Wade, Deng and Dragic's proclivity to get injured, Miami needs a better backup plan than Tyler Johnson, Henry Walker, and Shabazz Napier when the inevitable bumps and bruises come along.

Potential Fits
Miami is a team all-in on the next season or two, so they will likely be looking at players who can contribute right away, stick in a rotation, and step into the starting line-up in event of an injury. Looking at the players that will likely be available, Wisconsin power forward Frank Kaminsky is the most NBA ready; he can really shoot and is great handling the ball and passing. His ability to help you as both a high and low usage player is very valuable because he always be contributing. Kaminsky, however, does many of the things they are hoping to get from Josh McRoberts; though having multiple super-skilled big men is never a problem. If Arizona's Stanley Johnson falls to their pick, he would be another strong option as a backup and eventual replacement for Deng. Johnson also has the size to some play small-ball 4 but could guard many shooting guards as well, the kind of versatility Miami likes. Kelly Oubre of Kansas is more of a pure wing than Johnson, but he is more likely to be available and does a lot of things on both ends of the court. Oubre might not be as much of a day one contributor as Johnson or Kaminsky, but he has a higher upside. Kentucky guard Devin Booker's jumpshot will play from day one, and Miami loves shooters, but there are so questions about what else he can do. If Johnson is, as expected, off the board I think Kaminsky makes the most sense. In the second, they should target an NBA-ready role player to provide some inexpensive depth.

Mock Draft
10. Frank Kaminsky, F/C, Wisconsin
40. Norman Powell, SG, UCLA

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Miami Heat Draft Review

24. Shabazz Napier, PG Connecticut Sr. (6-1, 175)
There is so much going on with this pick, it will be one of the most interesting to follow in the next couple of years. First, there is a good story about LeBron loving Napier and wanting him on the team, but it really smells of the previous "GM LeBron" moves that Cleveland succumbed to, with disastrous results. This particular move is a generally a low-risk maneuver for the Heat, but trying to appease one player is usually a bad move if it comes to the detriment of the team. In that case however, it probably doesn't but it could be the first step down a desperate path that already killed on franchise's championship chances. Napier is an excellent fit in Miami, who need another player who can get his own shot and isn't completely reliant on LeBron to get them shots. He is probably an upgrade over Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers, though certainly not a sure thing because of Napier's size and the overall nature of his game as a shoot-first guard. Yes, he's made some big shots in college, but so did Chalmers and that made zero difference in this recent finals. Overall, I think this helps make the Heat better though, but I hope fans don't hold Napier up to be something he isn't.

Projected Roster
PG: Norris Cole/Shabazz Napier
SG: Dwyane Wade
SF: LeBron James
PF: ???
C: Chris Bosh

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