There was a distinct lack of drama for the Miami Heat during Tuesday night’s NBA Draft Lottery, primarily because the team ended up with the 13th overall selection in next month’s draft.
While that position won’t help draft any of the most touted prospects, Heat center Bam Adebayo feels that the team can still find a quality player.
Adebayo, the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, spoke about how teams can find themselves pleasantly surprised with their choice down the road and cited the player chosen immediately before him in his own draft:
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“It depends on the situation. Everybody has different situations, so you can’t really bank it on what the team has. I feel like nobody knew Donovan Mitchell would be Donovan Mitchell going as the 13th pick. So it all depends on your situation.”
Mitchell was drafted by the Utah Jazz out of the University of Louisville and has been a starter for virtually all of his career. He’s posted solid statistical numbers in his two seasons, averaging 22.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
As far as this year’s draft, Adebayo pointed to one of the Heat’s specific needs:
“You’ve got to fill in for Dwyane Wade. Like, that sounds ridiculous, but it has to happen. We watched D-Wade end his career. Now it’s time for us to plug something in with what’s left with our young core. And I feel like we can do it.”
As a former University of Kentucky Wildcat, Adebayo would love to see the Heat draft one of the school’s three available prospects in guard Tyler Herro or forwards Keldon Johnson and P.J. Washington:
“They’re all great players because they went to Kentucky. I’ve got that much belief in my school and what my past coach [John Calipari] did for us and what he did for them. I feel like they’re prepared for the NBA and when they come here, they’re going to feed into this culture.”
Using his own experience, Adebayo did offer a suggestion that whoever is selected by the Heat has to bring a solid work ethic to the court in order to get recognized:
“Mine was, you had to earn it. So if you wanted to be on the court, we have pre-practice — be the first one there. Make Coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra] see that you want to be played.
“Building trust is a big part of a rookie deal. You can’t just go in there thinking, ‘I got drafted, I’m a lottery pick,’ and do whatever you want. You’ve got to figure out how people will take things, because you’re at the bottom of the totem pole. So you’ve got to work your way up.”
Adebayo has put up modest numbers during his first two seasons, but has shown plenty of promise along the way.
His own work ethic has already been on display in the early portion of this offseason, including practicing his turnaround jumper with former Heat forward Chris Bosh.
That continued development and the addition of another talent in the draft could serve the Heat well in the years ahead.
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