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Pat Riley, Boston Celtics
The Miami Heat will find themselves in the market for some additional help at the guard position this summer.
Norman Powell is heading into unrestricted free agency, and Tyler Herro is extension eligible. Miami can’t afford to pay both guards their market value, given their overlapping struggles on defense. As such, some tough decisions will need to be made.
When looking at Miami’s roster, it’s clear that some additional scoring with size is needed in the backcourt. Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft looks to solve that problem, projecting Miami to take Cameron Carr out of Baylor with the 16th overall pick.
“The Heat are a near-lock to be in the guard market this summer,” Zach Buckley wrote. “Norman Powell will be a free agent, Tyler Herro will again be extension-eligible, and Miami can’t possibly commit to both when they’re overlapping weaknesses effectively render them unplayable together (minus-4.1 net rating over 234 shared minutes).”
Buckley continued.
“Carr should be an easy sell for any backcourt shopper. He’s a 6’5″ sharpshooter with above-the-rim athleticism and inside-the-arc scoring. If this developmental program improves his defense and creation, Miami could have a steal.”
Carr has played in 32 games for Baylor this season. He’s averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists, shooting 61.1% from 2-point range and 39.4% from deep.
The Athletic Previously Mocked Carr In The 20s
It would appear that Carr’s recent production has seen him rise in recent mock drafts. On March 2, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie projected Carr to fall to the New York Knicks with the 25th pick.
However, Vecenie did praise Carr’s scoring ability, especially earlier in the collegiate season.
“Carr had a nuclear hot start to the season and has largely settled in as one of the best high-major scorers in the country,” Vecenie wrote. “He’s averaging 19 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the foul line.”
Vecenie continued.
“Carr is a terrific shooter with great straight-line slashing instincts, using his long strides and length to cover ground quickly before getting to the rim, and he also has a nice pull-up game from the midrange if his drive gets cut off.”
Miami needs a reliable young scorer, and the boost in athleticism wouldn’t hurt either. After all, Erik Spoelstra’s new-look offense needs more bounce and off-the-dribble scoring. Carr could be a smart addition to the Heat’s retooling phase.
Miami Heat Urged To Add Reliable Backup Big Man
Adding depth at the guard positions isn’t the only area of need for the Miami Heat as we head into the offseason. Erik Spoelstra will likely need another backup big to add depth to his center rotation.
According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, a move to acquire Nick Richards in free agency would be the ideal solution.
“When Miami starts Kel’el Ware or entrusts him with a starter’s workload, it exposes the nonexistent nature of its depth behind him,” Buckley wrote. ‘A quality backup big could quietly go a long way for this group, and Richards is one of the better reserve centers you’ll find. He plays within himself and gets busy around the basket on both ends.”
The Heat have a lot of work to do if they want to be back in championship contention in the near future. Nailing their draft picks and finding valuable contributors on low-cost deals will be essential. Given Miami’s style of play and what Carr brings to the table, it could be a perfect match on both sides.
Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Miami Heat for Heavy. He holds bylines for CelticsBlog, USA Today and Yardbarker. Adam also covers the WWE and AEW. He has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor
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