Miami Heat work out 4 more big men ahead of 2017 NBA Draft

2. Justin Patton, C, Creighton

Prospect breakdown:

• Age: 20
• Height/Wingpsan/Weight: 7’0″, 7’3″, 226 pounds
• Freshman year averages:
  • 12.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.2 ASP, 0.9 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 1.7 TOV, 67.6 FG%, 8/15 3P, 51.7 FT%, 25.3 MPG
• Draft Express Mock Position: 1st round, 19th overall pick

Strengths:

• Wonderful combination of size and agility for a modern NBA center. Flashes of skill for a man of his stature are astounding. Really good hands and finisher near the basket; completed 80.8 percent of his looks in the paint, per Hoop Math. Highest upside among big men who will be available after the top 10 picks. The Ringer went as far as to compare him to Karl-Anthony Towns Lite.

Weaknesses:

• Lacks toughness, which hurts him on the glass. Averaged fewer than 10 rebounds per 40 minutes — an abysmal mark for someone who played in the current, weakened Big East. His flashes of skill are amazing but he’s nowhere near consistent enough offensively yet. Made eight of his 15 attempts from beyond the arc, but just 51.7 percent of his free throws; he’s probably not gonna be much of a three-point shooter in the pros — at least not for a while.

Final verdict:

• I’ve been a proponent of the Heat drafting someone who could help them win games as a rookie — even if that means taking someone with a lower ceiling like Justin Jackson. That said, Patton could be worth the risk. Guys his size with his level of skill, even if isn’t totally developed yet, are rare. Plus, if there’s one franchise who could get him to toughen up quickly, especially as a rebounder, it’s the Heat. His 20.5-point-per-40-minute average makes him awfully enticing.