Shabazz Napier could be one of the steals of the NBA draft
Some people believe in accidents, and others tend to rely on destiny. I’m one of the people who tend to put faith into destiny. With that being said, destiny is too strong for anyone to change and it ultimately determines where we are going to end up in the future.
The Miami Heat got a steal in the 2014 NBA Draft when they traded for point guard Shabazz Napier. A few months ago, I ranked Napier as the second best point guard to play college basketball in the last decade (look at the No.1 though). Now seeing how good he looks during the Heat training camp, scrimmages and preseason games, he is quickly turning heads.
No way u take another PG in the lottery before Napier.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 8, 2014
Besides Marcus Smart, James was pretty much right about his assessment.
Lets go down the list of guards taken before Napier in the 2014 NBA Draft:
Elfrid Payton (10) has the NBA size to play point guard at a high level, but playing against the level of competition within the Sun Belt conference is unproven. Also, he needs to learn how to shoot better.
Tyler Ennis (18) had a great freshman year at Syracuse, but still doesn’t have major college experience only going to school for one season.
Now that Napier plays for the Miami Heat, it is a blessing in disguise because he’s playing for an organization that has a knack for developing their talent. In addition, Napier is going to play very crucial minutes that will impact a game.
For a rookie to join an atmosphere and culture that is used to winning, it is priceless to their development.
Having Napier, who has already won two NCAA championships before his arrival in Miami, is also beneficial to an organization that just made the NBA Finals four years in a row. Winners stick with winners, and the Heat picking up Napier goes together like peanut butter and jelly.
What Napier has above those other point guards that were taken before him is experience. Coming into the NBA he will not make the same mistakes early and often as his younger rookie counterparts since he already has seasoning to his game. Earning trust, and staying in the rotation is something Napier is expected to do. This is the benefit of drafting a player who has a lot of major college experience.
The interesting aspect of Napier’s arrival to the Miami Heat is how head coach Erik Spoelstra is going to find minutes for him to play on the floor. With veteran point guards Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole, Napier is the third string point guard but has starting point guard talent. Coach Spoelstra is going to have to manage the minutes between the three to give Napier a good assessment during games.
Because the Heat have many options at their shooting guard spot, one of the reasons why Napier could play is if coach Spoelstra uses Chalmers or Cole to relieve Wade at the two guard spot, and have Napier run the one. Because the Heat often play positionless basketball, the matchup creates a lot of defensive pressure in the backcourt, and can allow some of the Heat’s fastest athletes run more often.
Furthermore, why Napier will play a lot of minutes in his rookie season is because of his off-ball defense. The Miami Heat are known for turning it up defensively, and players who make effort on defense find minutes on the floor. Napier has a keen ability to understand passing lanes and has great anticipation to get steals while playing off the basketball.
During games, people are going to routinely see Napier come from the help side of the court, and get steals on big men who put the basketball on the floor.
The decisions for Napier’s minutes will also rely on his ability to not turn the basketball over. The more he plays better basketball and makes better decisions on the court, the longer stretches he will stay in games.
Having a crafty, scrappy, intelligent point guard like Napier does not cure everything the Heat have lost. Instead, having him on the roster is the first step towards becoming a better team in the future. With him and James Ennis “the Menace” being intricate parts of the Heat’s future, they are in good hands (try hearing that in my President David Palmer voice).
I just wonder if he will make the All-Rookie Team, or if he will have the opportunity to showcase his talent during All-Star weekend.
He’s already gotten my vote.
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