The Miami Heat enter the 2015 NBA Draft with the desire to select a player capable of making a big impact in his rookie season.
After a tumultuous 2014-15 season which saw the Heat not only finish with a losing record, but finish with a non-playoff season for the first time in seven years, Miami is in a state of reloading.
The team does have stars in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but it’s clear the team lacks depth. The Heat were one of the bottom-five teams in the NBA in bench scoring last season. With the exception of Mario Chalmers, Miami didn’t have a scoring option it could depend on from the bench.
This is where the NBA Draft in June becomes pivotal. There is only a minimal chance Miami doesn’t get a top 10 pick in this year’s draft. It’s safe to assume the Heat are likely to draft at the No. 10 spot.
The draft this year is heavy on prospects who can make immediate impacts for their respective teams. The University of Arizona’s Stanley Johnson is one player in particular that fits what Miami is looking for heading into next season.
Johnson is a 6’7,” 242-pound small forward who played one season at Arizona. What stands out most about the soon-to-be 19-year-old is his ability to play defense and his aggressive nature on offense.
He has drawn comparisons to Metta World Peace and San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard. Johnson would be a great fit for the Heat because he would be ready to start from day one. If Luol Deng declines his player option and walks in free agency, Johnson could fill Deng’s role and grow as a player within the organization.
If Miami is to bring back Goran Dragic, the lineup would be as follows—Hassan Whiteside at center, Bosh at power forward, Dragic at point guard, Wade at shooting guard and Johnson at small forward.
With Bosh, Dragic and Wade being premier offensive players, the pressure on Johnson to be a go-to-guy would be alleviated.
Let’s go into detail of some of Johnson’s strengths and weaknesses entering the draft:
(Continue on next page for Johnson’s strengths)
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Strengths
As mentioned earlier, Johnson is a lot like former Defensive Player of the Year World Peace and reigning DPOY Leonard. His stature, style of play and perimeter defense eerily resemble that of both players.
Johnson will likely never be a No. 1 offensive option on a team, but he is more than capable of putting the ball in the basket. His aggressive nature leads him to slash to the paint very often.
He’s not a great three-point shooter by any means, but he can spot up from beyond the arc and hit his fair share of shots. During his lone season at Arizona, he nailed 37.1 percent of his three-point field goals.
His efficiency as a shooter leaves some to be desired (44.6 percent from the field at Arizona), but he remains an unfinished project capable of growing as a scorer. He goes to the free-throw line at a decent rate (4.7 per game in 28 minutes per contest) and already possesses the ability to score in the paint and knock down three-point jump shots.
Essentially he’s a versatile threat on the offensive end that would fit perfect as a second-tier option on any basketball team. Whether he’s starting at small forward or coming off the bench for the Heat, he will more than hold his end on the offensive side of things.
When it pertains to defense, this is Johnson’s greatest trait. Because of his solid stature and well-built physique, he can guard up to three positions—power forward, small forward and shooting guard.
In fact, he can actually play all three positions making him a tweener of sorts.
The Heat have a great defensive presence in the paint in Whiteside. Imagine a player capable of being a lockdown defender on the perimeter?
That’s what you could have in Johnson.
(Continue on next page for Johnson’s weaknesses)
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Weaknesses
The 6’7″ small forward has a lot of great traits, but the fact remains: he’s still an extremely young, raw product.
He does draw fouls and go to the line a fair amount, but his efficiency in the paint is absolutely pedestrian. He converted on just 40 percent of his field goals from the paint in college.
His inability to convert at an efficient rate in the paint goes hand-in-hand with his lack of consistency and decision making. He has a tendency to have tunnel vision as a passer and doesn’t remain locked in defensively for an entire game.
In his last three collegiate games, which were all during the NCAA Tournament against the best of the best, he shot just 7-of-26 from the field. That poor finish to his collegiate career is what likely led to a dip in his draft stock.
Like World Peace before him, he does not possess an amazing vertical. Johnson’s game is bully ball, and he prefers crashing at defenders to score, rather than using athleticism. In other words, his athleticism is not eye-popping and it will be considered below-average at the NBA level.
Final Word
Like just about any NBA draft prospect in history, Johnson has his strengths and his flaws. But the fact remains that this kid is still just 18 years old and could immediately start on an NBA squad or be a sixth man off the bench for a playoff team.
Of all the prospects that are projected to be selected around the No. 10 spot, Johnson fits the Heat’s needs the most. Miami needs an offensive option off the bench or a small forward capable of locking down on defense while scoring every now and then.
The University of Arizona product has those exact traits the Heat are looking for.
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