Who the Miami Heat Should Target in 2015 NBA Draft
Pat Riley and the Miami Heat enter the 2015 NBA draft with a vastly different set of circumstances than they had last offseason.
At this time in 2014, the title contenders were operating with the intent of retaining LeBron James and building around him for another run. They even drafted James' favorite prospect, point guard Shabazz Napier. But the lord of the Eastern Conference bolted, leaving Erik Spoelstra with a middle-tier roster that churned out a sub-.500 season.
Now the Heat should aim to make the most of Dwyane Wade's final year(s) while forming a core around Chris Bosh. They'll try to keep recently acquired Goran Dragic in the fold, and they should add pieces that complement both Bosh and rising phenom Hassan Whiteside.
In recent years, most of Riley's handiwork has come during trades and free agency, not in the draft. While Miami will still do most of its damage in free agency this summer, it can make a bigger draft splash than usual this year.
After four straight trips to the NBA Finals, the Heat regressed enough in 2015 to earn the draft's No. 10 selection. Miami could add a wing for the future or a frontcourt asset.
Target No. 1: Versatile Small Forward/Wing
Spoelstra could really use a dynamic wing to help Wade and give the lineup some long-term flexibility.
The best options who may still be available at No. 10 are Arizona's Stanley Johnson and Kansas' Kelly Oubre.
Johnson would be the preferred choice of the two, as he brings several NBA-ready qualities along with some lofty potential. The 6'7", 240-pound freshman is stronger and smarter than most of his teenage peers, and his budding skill set can impact the game in a myriad of ways.
In Johnson, the Heat would get a supplementary inside-out scorer who defends multiple spots and rebounds well for his position. In addition to posting 19.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per 40 minutes last year, Johnson also chipped in 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals.
If this human Swiss army knife is already off the board, then Miami should zero in on a high-upside wing like Kelly Oubre.
Oubre's shot-creating skills are raw, but we saw plenty of slashing potential and fluid athleticism from the rangy wing at Kansas. He has a promising, smooth jumper to pair with his above-the-rim agility.
Like Johnson, Oubre cleans the boards superbly for the 3 spot (9.5 rebounds per 40 minutes), and he owns the quickness and awareness to become a solid defender. He's not as safe a pick as Johnson, but his possible ceiling is just as high.
Target No. 2: Devin Booker
Though not as versatile as the aforementioned small forwards, Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker would give Pat Riley a much-needed floor-spacer.
The Heat were well below average in three-point makes and three-point percentage in 2014-15, and they must remedy that if they want to maximize the rim-attacking efforts of Wade, Dragic and Whiteside.
Enter Booker, who drilled 41 percent of his triples for John Calipari's Final Four squad. At 6'6", he's someone who can shoot over wings and attack closeouts to make plays. Booker also has enough size and agility to check opposing 2-guards and even some 3s.
Ed Isaacson of Yahoo Sports explained that Booker would be a long-term cog as well as someone who can contribute right now:
"With Dwyane Wade’s career likely coming to an end soon, Booker will give the Heat some depth at the shooting guard position. He’s one of the top long-range shooters in the draft, as well as a strong perimeter defender. He’s certainly not a Wade-type guard, but he’ll give the Heat some needed scoring and defense, at least in the short-term.
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In a couple of years, look for him to boost a playoff-caliber rotation in a similar manner as J.J. Redick or Danny Green.
Target No. 3: Two-Way Stretch Big
Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside give the Heat a couple of richly talented frontcourt pieces to work with, but Miami could use more long-term depth in the scoring, rebounding and rim protection departments.
Two names stand out in the No. 10 range: Myles Turner and Frank Kaminsky.
Turner could provide Spoelstra with awesome lineup flexibility because he can defend the paint and stretch defenses with pick-and-pop shooting. Texas' one-and-done center offers legitimate 7-footer size and tools along with the skills of a stretch 4.
He must work on asserting himself as a low-post scorer, but Turner is a tantalizing risk-reward prospect who might be the best available player when Miami is on the clock.
"He's another one of those modern NBA bigs that every team is looking for," noted CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie. "While the Heat might want a player that is more ready to contribute immediately, Turner is the kind of guy that could pay off big time next to Chris Bosh and Goran Dragic in the future."
Another tower the Heat could target if the desired wings and forwards are unavailable is Frank Kaminsky. Many of his skills overlap Bosh's, but he has enough size and versatility to operate with Bosh or Whiteside in the rotation.
Kaminsky's prolific shooting (42 percent from three-point range in 2014-15) would give Dragic and Wade room to slash, but his post play could complement Bosh's outside shooting.
He doesn't project to be a defensive juggernaut, but he's mobile, long and has great instincts on that end. Even though he's unspectacular, he does enough dirty work to warrant the offense-based selection.
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