4. Willie Cauley-Stein, C, University of Kentucky
Again, this is a position the Heat will likely look at in this year’s draft.
There is a bit of a concern that Miami may have to prepare for life after Whiteside. If Whiteside has another season like he had in 2014-15, he will command major bucks during the 2016 offseason.
Not only that, but Bosh fits better at the four rather than the five at this point in his career. He is a mid-range shooter who no longer favors the post game.
What does that mean? The Heat may need a franchise center for the next several years.
Willie Cauley-Stein is not an offensive force. In fact, you could actually compare him to the Heat’s own Chris Andersen.
He is a defensive force who projects as a lob finisher, roll target and garbage man in an NBA offense. At 7-feet and 240 pounds, he could be a team’s starting center provided they already have offensive weapons in place.
That is something that the Heat have in Wade and Bosh. If Dragic returns, Miami has three dynamic offensive weapons. Meaning a guy like Cauley-Stein could fit into the lineup as a one-man defensive wrecking crew.
The organization will have to make decisions entering the draft on what they value the most as no prospect is perfect. Do the Heat want a big man who can be an 18 point-per-game scorer in the NBA but leaves a lot to be desired on defense? Or do they want a 7-foot center who can patrol the paint on defense but lacks the skills to be a viable option on offense?
That is something that we’ll find out during the 2015 NBA draft.
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