The Miami Heat entered the 2025 NBA Draft with just a single pick in the first round.
To be precise, the Miami Heat had the 20th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The organization used it to select Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis.
The Lithuanian guard made an instant impression on the Heat fanbase. Evidently, Heat fans were excited to see Jakucionis in action during the 2025 NBA Summer League.
While Jakucionis struggled to play well during the California Classic for the Heat, he bounced back in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesMiami Heat fans have mixed reactions to Kasparas Jakucionis
After failing to breach the five-point mark in the California Classic, the Heat Nation was genuinely worried about the rookie. However, Jakucionis showed great improvement in the next three Summer League games.
This includes a 24-point scoring outburst against the Atlanta Hawks and most recently, a 15-point outing against the Detroit Pistons.
Despite showing constant improvement, the Heat fanbase isn’t completely convinced that the 19-year-old is NBA-ready at this point in his career.
“More turnovers than shots made, again,” a fan wrote. While another added: “Can’t blame some of the turnovers on him.”
“He will be fine, he just needs camp,” a third fan wrote while showing trust in the 19-year-old.
“He was very active today but still needs some work,” a fourth fan added.
“I thought he played well under the circumstances. Nothing crazy but not terrible,” a fan stated.
“He needs more time to develop,” a sixth Heat fan added.
All things considered, fans are mainly worried about Jakucionis’ turnovers. After all, even during his sole year at Illinois, he averaged 3.7 turnovers per game, which is simply too high of a number to succeed in the NBA.
Kasparas Jakucionis’ thoughts on his Summer League performances
It’s possible that Jakucionis takes a leap ahead of his rookie year after spending time in the Heat’s training camp.
However, it would require laser-sharp focus from the 19-year-old. Well, there’s no reason not to believe Jakucionis’ seriousness about it.
“It’s a process for me. I’m adapting to the game. It’s a little bit different. I’m just trying to control what I can control, to give my 100% for the team and work on the defensive end,” Jakucionis told Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina.
He added: “It’s basketball. One day, you miss. Another day, you make. I’m working on that. That is one of the keys for me to improve. I’ve been working every day on it.”
The silver lining for the Heat is the fact that Jakucionis is only 19 years old, and the two sides can work together to help the Lithuanian star reach his full potential in the future.