Miami Heat work out 3 guard prospects ahead of 2017 NBA Draft

Terrance Ferguson, SG/SF, Australia

Prospect breakdown:

• Age: 19
• Height/Wingpsan/Weight: 6’7″, 6’8.75″, 186 pounds
• Overseas averages:
  • 4.6 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 0.9 TOV, 38.1 FG%, 31.3 3P%, 60.0 FT%, 15.2 MPG
• Draft Express Mock Position: 1st round, 23rd overall pick

Strengths:

• Great size for a 2-guard with explosive athleticism to boot. Still only 19 years old. Form on his jumper, though inconsistent, is overall decent, especially as a catch-and-shoot option. Per Draft Express, shot 38.7 percent from three in such situations, while scoring a healthy 1.3 points per possession via spot-ups. Length and agility give him excellent defensive potential.

Weaknesses: 

• Chose to go overseas to play in Australia instead of honoring his commitment to Arizona. That in and of itself isn’t a weakness, but his play against lower level professionals was not promising. If he couldn’t make an impact playing in the Australian League, why would we expect him to do anything in the NBA anytime soon? (Remember James Ennis, who flamed out in Miami pretty quickly? He also spent time in Australia before heading to the NBA, except he averaged 21.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and made the All-NBL First Team prior to arriving in Miami.) Extremely raw, which is to be expected for someone his age. He will likely spend the majority of his first year in the NBA improving his game in the G-League. Probably one of those guys who’s “a year away from being a year away.”

Final verdict: 

• Kudos to the Heat for doing their due diligence on a 2-guard prospect with elite measurements and athleticism. Still, there will be better options available at No. 14. Taking Ferguson there would be a major reach, and if you’re going to swing for the fences, it may be more prudent to do it for a guy like Harry Giles instead.