Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor, senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill and college hoops analyst King McClure question Miami’s choice of Kasparas Jakučionis in the first round of the NBA Draft and what the plan is for the Heat. Hear the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
View more
Video Transcript
When it comes to we mentioned Miami there.
Advertisement
I just can’t figure out exactly what they’re doing here.
They, they, they bypass Kevin Durant opportunity.
They, a year ago, you know, 2 years ago it was Damian Lillard.
They don’t make the best offer there.
They don’t go, go all in.
Casparris Yakachonenis, 11 of his 33 games with more turnovers than made shots.
That’s a hell of a stat.
I mean, it’s scary.
That’s a crazy stat.
So I think with, you know, with Miami, I just question what the hell is actually going on here.
You got Pat Riley, 80 years old.
Still wants to try to win games, but like they’re just stuck in the middle.
So like to me, Miami as the team that I look at is like had the the most questionable worst night.
Advertisement
Vincent, like what do you think?
Like who had the worst first round that we saw tonight?
It probably would have to be Miami, right?
Because you just don’t know what the hell they’re doing.
And that’s unfortunate because that is a respected organization that has earned a lot of the benefit of the doubt from the media, from the fans, from everybody, and that’s Pat Riley.
Like nobody wants to tell Pat Riley.
You lost your fastball, but you don’t know exactly what the plan is.
If the plan is to continue to overachieve.
Which has seriously has been the plan since they acquired Jimmy Butler in 2019.
Like they’ve been at this spot, even though they had the one seed and what was that 23, it felt like they were a hard playing team that reached that overreached as opposed to a team that was talented enough to really get there.
Advertisement
So now you’re at a point where you don’t have Jimmy Butler that that thing was ugly.
You can sign whatever blame.
You want to sign it, but the bottom line is the stewards of the franchise, you wonder what’s the best decision for the sake of the Miami Heat franchise and who’s making those decisions.
And if that is Tyler Hero signing a big money extension, which he’s eligible to sign for and Batman Abayo being your two best players, or if you’re just comfortable being in Purgatory, that doesn’t get you anywhere.
It just doesn’t.
I mean it doesn’t.