Miami Heat: 3 big men draft prospects brought in for workouts

3. Johnathan Motley, PF, Baylor

Prospect breakdown:

• Age: 22
• Height/Wingpsan/Weight: 6’9″, 7’4″, 230 pounds
• Junior year averages:
  • 17.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.3 ASP, 0.4 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 2.9 TOV, 52.2 FG%, 28.1 3P%, 69.9 FT%, 30.5 MPG
• Draft Express Mock Position: 2nd round, 36th overall pick

Strengths:

• Motley is an excellent scorer from the 4-spot, even despite his lack of three-point shooting. He has a great face-up game and uses his plus-agility to blow by slow-footed big men. Plus-rebounder; uses his quickness and instincts to find (and get to) the ball before opponents. Good mid-range jump shot. Motley knows how to get buckets, scoring at least 20 points 10 times as a junior, fewer than 10 points just four times.

Weaknesses:

• Thin frame makes it difficult to project how he’ll translate as a rebounder. Also important to note how his athleticism looks coming off a torn MCL; athleticism in question was never all that great to begin with. Decent assist numbers (2.3 nightly) but also turned it over a whole lot (2.9 turnovers per game). Poor free throw shooter which begs the question: Will he ever develop a three-point shot?

Final verdict:

• From a Heat perspective, is he a guy worth purchasing a second round pick for? His outlook is reliant upon his ability to eventually knock down threes from the 4-spot. For now, he’s probably best served as a backup center. Well, with Willie Reed likely on the way out, Miami could use one. Taking Motley and using him as a reserve 5 (and hoping he can blossom into a starting-caliber power forward someday) would make some sense.