Miami Heat: 5 options for pick No. 14 in 2017 NBA Draft
By Frank Urbina
3. OG Anunoby, SF, Indiana
On the other hand, for the Heat fans who would rather target players with lower floors but higher ceilings, OG Anunoby is probably your guy.
As a sophomore at Indiana, the freakish wing averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds, while converting a ludicrous 70.1 percent of his two-point attempts.
He struggled to shoot the ball, but the fact that he is so effective around the basket helps his outlook on offense. (I’ve heard the Winslow comparison, but Miami’s small forward is terrible at finishing in the paint. Plus, he’s a much better passer than Anunoby. They’re different players.)
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
At the combine, he checked out at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2.25 wingspan. Furthermore, he weighed in at 232 pounds with just 6.8 percent body fat. For a guy who went down with a torn ACL in mid-January, it’s encouraging to see that he’s stayed in such fantastic shape.
Oh, right, had I not mentioned that? Anunoby did suffer a pretty devastating knee injury, which shortened his sophomore season at Indiana to just 16 games. He hasn’t been cleared for much on-court action as of yet, but at least he’s getting jump shots up already.
It’s very likely that if he hadn’t gone down with injury, he’d have been a top-10 pick; he’s the prototypical NBA small-ball power forward.
Anunoby has the frame to defend big men down low, the athleticism to switch onto guards in the pick-and-roll and the ability to guard an opposing team’s best player.
Adding him to a frontcourt lineup featuring Hassan Whiteside and Winslow may hurt Miami’s spacing, but it would be one of the most fearsome defensive units in the entire league. If Riley favors a best-player-available approach and Anunoby is still on the board, he’d be the pick.
Especially after saying things like this:
OG Anunoby says he can defend all five positions on the floor. Said his goal is to become the best defensive player in the league.
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) May 12, 2017
Provided the health of his knee checks out when Miami brings him in for interviews and medical tests, he’ll assimilate into the Heat’s culture beautifully if he is the selection at No. 14.