10. Frank Ntilikina
Ntilikina is one of the most enigmatic players eligible for the 2017 NBA Draft. Standing at 6-foot-5, he is a French point guard who arrived on the scene in the 2016 FIBA U18 European Championships, where he averaged 15.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He also shot a staggering 50 percent for the whole tournament, and 58.6 percent on 3-pointers, though the international three-point line is shorter than the NBA’s. His limited sample size of play, coupled with his 18-year youth make it impossible to predict where he’ll fall in the draft. One thing is for certain, Ntilikina has potent potential as a large point guard, and is a lights-out shooter.
The Heat have a 98.2 percent chance to land the No. 14 pick in the draft and are in a unique position to potentially land one of the top 10 prospects, if the right teams pass any of them up. The likelihood of that happening isn’t incredibly high, which is why Riley affectionately refers to picking in the middle of the round as “purgatory.” While there are a number of positions that Miami could stand to fill in this draft, they only have one pick. Leaf is the most likely candidate to be chosen, as his draft stock places him very close to the 14th pick. Alternatively, Rabb or Collins would be outstanding additions to the Heat and could contribute immediately in a meaningful way.
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