Heat Point To Future In 2011 Draft
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – Miami Heat fans have gotten used to being able to pass on watching the NBA Draft while Pat Riley has been in charge. With the 2011 NBA Draft just hours away, the Heat has all of one pick in the draft at the top of the second-round.
It's not without a certain sense of irony that Riley despises the draft so much, yet the Heat's best player, guard Dwyane Wade, was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 draft.
Nevertheless, the Heat are more than happy to not have a first-round pick this year or in the next few years since those picks helped bring them LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
While the likelihood of finding an impact player at the top of the second-round is slim, the Heat do have two areas of need: point guard and center. Point guard will likely be the Heat's target in with the 31st pick in the draft, according to Heat vice-president of player personnel Chet Kammerer.
At the point guard position, there are three players at the top of the Heat's wish list: Reggie Jackson of Boston College, Shelvin Mack of Butler, and Nolan Smith of Duke.
Jackson has a huge 7-foot wingspan and is 6'3" tall, which is a great size for a point guard. He's a good shooter and can put the ball on the floor to make a play. He's reportedly been promised to be drafted by a few teams including the Boston Celtics. If he's there, the Heat will waste no time submitting the pick.
Nolan Smith is more of a safe pick. He's a four-year player at Duke who took over last season and led the Blue Devils deep into the NCAA tournament after likely number one overall pick Kyrie Irving went down with an injury.
Smith is mature and would provide great depth to the Heat's roster at the point guard position.
Mack is an intriguing prospect out of Butler. He had a subpar junior season, but he was also a key cog in Butler making back-to-back trips to the NCAA Championship game. Mack averaged 16 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game as a junior. He's also likely to be a backup who will provide depth to the Heat's roster.
Finally, if the Heat chooses to look for a big man, there's a strong chance a potential steal could be on the board at 31. Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson is 6'10" and was a great scorer who improved each year during his four years as a Boilermaker.
He will need to put on weight, but if he can, he would give great depth to the Heat's frontline. He could work alongside last year's pick, Dexter Pittman, as both battle for a spot on the active roster.
The NBA Draft starts at 7:30 p.m.
