Is play at No. 4 still an issue for Heat?
Mock drafts have franchise looking at another power forward in upcoming draft
MIAMI — (Fourth in a five-part positional series in advance of Thursday’s NBA draft)
If the Miami Heat’s selection at Thursday’s NBA draft turns out to be a power forward, it will be nothing more than the continuation of a pattern with the team’s lottery picks.
In 2017, the last time the Heat held a firstround pick, the choice was Bam Adebayo. In
2015, the choice was
Justise Winslow, who has seen considerable time at the four spot.
In 2008, Pat Riley utilized the earliest pick of his Heat tenure on
Michael Beasley.
And yet glance through mock drafts in advance of the No. 13 selection and several of the models have the Heat again involved in four-play.
Because for all the Heat possess at the position — and there is plenty already on the roster — less clear is whether Riley has his power forward of the future.
Adebayo seemingly is now the Heat’s center of the future, likely much to the consternation of Hassan Whiteside. Winslow could just as easily settle in at point guard. James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk have only two years left on their contracts, each with the choice to opt out in a year.
So even with Derrick Jones Jr. and Yante Maten under contract, with Duncan Robinson bulking up, and with Udonis Haslem possibly to return, power forward it might be.
That is, of course, if there truly is such a thing anymore in today’s NBA, where there increasingly are centers and wings and little in between.
“A lot of today’s fours are actually threes,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “So three-four, that’s the new position. Your 6-8 player had better be able to shoot threes. And they had better be able to guard threes, with enough lateral agility on switches.”
A breakdown at the prospects at power forward in advance of Thursday’s selections at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center:
Top 5
1. Zion Williamson, 6-7, freshman, Duke: There has not been an athletic prospect similar to Zion Williamson since LeBron James entered the 2003 draft. He is the most clear-cut No. 1 pick since the Pelicans last had the No. 1 selection in 2012 and took Anthony Davis.
2. Rui Hachimura, 6-8, junior, Gonzaga: With a 7-2 wingspan and a 234-pound frame, Hachimura is one of the most physically-imposing prospects. He excels at taking slower defenders off the dribble and finishes strong at the rim. He shot a career-high .417 on 3-pointers last season in limited attempts, but will need to improve his defensive instincts.
3. P.J. Washington, 6-8, sophomore, Kentucky: As one of the highest-risers in the draft, Washington was at his best during the second half of Kentucky’s season. He shot .447 from beyond the arc in SEC play and improved both as a backto-the-basket scorer and pick-and-roll finisher. He’ll need to clean up his turnover rate and show a larger sample size of shooting success.
4. Brandon Clarke, 6-8, junior, Gonzaga: Regarded as one of the safer picks in this draft class, Clarke probably will end up as the best frontcourt defender from this group of prospects due to his ability to guard three through five and his onball shot blocking. He finished with the secondhighest PER in college basketball due to his success around the rim, but is an almost non-factor as a shooter.
5. Grant Williams, 6-7, junior, Tennessee: As a player with Charles Barkley-like tendencies, Williams is an undersized power forward whose rebounding skill is unmatched inch-for-inch and who can stretch the floor with smooth midrange and 3-point jumpers. The only thing holding Williams back is his size at the position.
Sleeper
Chuma Okeke, 6-8, sophomore, Auburn: Had Okeke not torn his ACL in Auburn’s Sweet 16 win over North Carolina, he probably would have been a lottery pick. Okeke creates havoc on defense with steals and blocks and can stretch the offense with a smooth outside shot. Before going down with a knee injury, Okeke shot .574 from inside the arc and .388 from beyond.
Rating the field
There are several safe, NBA-ready prospects in this class of power forwards due to the higher percentage of upperclassmen within the top of the positional power rankings. While Zion Williamson is the one showstopper in the group, there are at least five or six who could see immediate playing time.
Heat need
By volume, the position is covered. By quality? That is the decision at hand for Pat Riley.