Miami Heat: 5 storylines to watch in the 2017 NBA Draft Combine

1. Johnathan Motley’s return from meniscus injury

Though Johnathan Motley isn’t a recognizable name to the casual NBA Draft observer, he’s still an interesting prospect. Especially for teams in need of help at the 4.

Motley’s a 6-foot-9 power forward with a reported 7-foot-3.5 wingspan. He’s long, agile and possesses some skill in the mid-to-high post, but still hasn’t been able to extend his range to the three-point line.

As a junior, the former Bear averaged 17.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game on .522/.281/.699 shooting splits. His best performance came on Jan. 17, when he dropped 32 points and 20 boards on Texas’ 21st-ranked defense (per KenPom) and fellow first round big man prospect, Jarrett Allen.

Although presently Draft Express (DX) has him slotted as the 41st overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets, he did peak as high as 23 on their mock-ups in mid-March. With a good showing in the combine, he’s capable of jumping up the Heat’s draft board.

Over the next few days, Motley has to prove a couple of things. First, that his injured meniscus, which he tore during Baylor’s Sweet 16 loss to South Carolina, is fully healthy. According to DX, he was just recently cleared to practice.

Next, Motley has to show NBA teams that he has stretch-4 potential, which won’t be easy considering the low volume of attempts during his career (shot 49 threes total in his three years at Baylor). Nonetheless, his shooting form is far from broken, so he’s not a total lost cause either.

He’s one to keep an eye on for Heat fans.