5. Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
Sam Dekker is a versatile small forward who played three years at the University of Wisconsin.
Dekker is best as a spot-up shooter as he doesn’t excel in any single area. He is fundamentally sound and has good size at 6’9″ and 229 pounds.
While he is tall, his wingspan leaves a little to be desired (6’10”). For much of the 2014-15 season, he played a complementary role to Kaminsky. However, he excelled during the first four games of the NCAA tournament as he averaged 21.7 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point range.
Dekker is a strong and fluid athlete but his lack of lateral quickness will cost him at the NBA level on defense. Another weakness of the small forward is the fact that he shot just 30.2 percent on mid-range jumpers last season.
The Wisconsin product is a nice project who can perhaps develop into a solid role player one day in the NBA, but it’s unlikely he’ll make an immediate impact during his rookie season.
The Heat are in dire need of players that can contribute right off the bat, and Dekker likely isn’t one of those players.
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