Miami Heat Post-Lottery 2023 NBA Mock Draft Roundup
Leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft, we will update our Miami Heat Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Miami Heat from several prominent sites and draft analysts.
The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Heat:
Hood-Schifino is viewed as one of the top point guards in the draft this year given his ability on both ends of the court. He showed great poise throughout the year and dished out the fourth-most assists (117) in program history by a freshman. He also has the length needed to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor, as well. He ascended mock drafts rapidly throughout the year and now looks to be locked in as a mid-first-rounder.
Much like his brother who plays for the Kings, Murray projects as a combo forward who can stretch the floor on offense and guard multiple positions on defense. The Iowa alum won't be a top-five pick like his twin was last year, but he should comfortably go somewhere in the first round.
The Heat could use an additional ball handler and it just so happens that Coulibaly, a big guard with size, length and unlimited upside potential, perfectly fits their "Heat Culture."
Coulibaly has received extra attention as Wembanyama's teammate, and the 18-year-old made the most of that spotlight. Once he declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, his stock skyrocketed up big boards and mock draft boards.
The 6-foot-6 guard is an excellent athlete with relentless energy. He does the majority of his damage off the ball as a cutter but he has shown some flashes as a perimeter shooter. Coulibaly is a versatile defender with quick feet, explosive athleticism and a reported 7-2 wingspan. His growth as a playmaker and shot creator will determine his ceiling at the next level.
The Scout: George is a bit polarizing for scouts. Some love his craft as a ballhandler and playmaker. He's very creative off the bounce and is able to play at this rare cadence that is hard to stay in front of. However, he's also not necessarily the best decision-maker yet, and he's not a particularly high-level athlete for a primary ballhandler. That led to some real inefficiency this past season. He shot just 37 percent from the field and turned it over three times per game despite playing for one of the best, most-well-spaced offenses in the country. Defensively, he has his positive moments, but they're hit or miss. It's hard to find creative guards who are this young and productive, though, so George is likely to hear his name called in the first round.
The Fit: The Heat have had to do a lot of manufacturing offense in the playoffs thus far through creative offensive sets that use their shooters and floor spacers to immense effect. Still, this was the 25th-best offense in the NBA this season even when Tyler Herro was healthy because they have very few creators off the bounce. George would at least bring that.
Howard, the youngest son of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, is a dependable outside shooter who is difficult to defend once he gets hot. His athleticism doesn't shine through like other prospects in this draft class, converting on only three dunks this season.
Miami would need to stay patient with the 18-year-old Jackson, but for a 6'9" power forward, his ball-handling and shooting versatility would seemingly fit well between Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Heat's track record for developing prospects and overall mature roster would be great for a talent like Jackson, who could improve his decision-making and defensive effort.
Smith was a borderline first rounder last year, but decided to come back for his sophomore season at NC State. The whole country got to see his microwave scoring ability on display in March Madness, when he popped off for 32 points in a close first-round loss to Creighton. A thin 6'4 guard, Smith has a quick trigger and deep range as a pull-up shooter that allows him to stockpile points in a hurry. He developed nicely as a playmaker as a sophomore, improving his assist percentage from 14.2 percent to 22.9 percent. It's difficult to see how he positively impacts the game defensively, but he should provide value as a bench gunner.
The stats listed above don't do justice to how impactful Lively was at the end of the season for Duke and how impactful he can be as an NBA player. He's an above-the-rim threat on both ends of the floor who can be a game-changer defensively protecting the basket.
Duke's Dariq Whitehead, who was named Mr. Basketball USA and Naismith Prep Player of the Year while taking home MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game in 2022, played through injuries as a freshman. He is expected to have surgery on his foot, but he will be prepared to play at the start of next season.
Even while playing through injuries, Whitehead finished his Duke one-and-done campaign shooting 42.9 percent on 3-pointers.
The freshman was 24-for-48 (50.0 percent) on 3-pointers from NBA distance, per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform. That ranked as the second-best among consensus top-100 prospects with at least 25 attempts tracked.