2019 NBA Mock Draft: The Boston Celtics clean up
8. player. 110. . F. North Carolina. Nassir Little
Little left yet another game at halftime after falling hard onto the court this week against Wake Forest. Coach Roy Williams said after the game he kept Little out for the second half of the Tar Heels’ victory in an effort to allow him to rest both his ankle and his head after the fall. Certainly, North Carolina has enough talent to withstand Little’s absence and taking it slowly is best for the team long-term as well as Little’s health.
It does put into perspective, though, how little an impact Little has had most of the season for North Carolina that they can miss him for a game and a half and not miss a beat. Hopefully, he can reintegrate into Williams’ rotation by the time the conference and national tournaments arrive and use the opportunity to showcase his talents one last time before the NBA Draft process begins in early summer.
This pick for Miami would mean leaning even further into their backward versatility with Justise Winslow at point guard. As soon as the 2020-21 season, the Heat could be building around this pick, Winslow, Bam Adebayo and Josh Richardson, forming the type of dynamic modern team that can compete against the best NBA teams of today.
Of course, Miami is always a destination for prospective free agents as well and just made moves to limit the luxury tax payment this season and move toward avoiding it entirely next year. That young core along with the flexibility to potentially add a superstar is a lot better a place to be than Miami was even at the beginning of this season, and the upside of someone like Little would make the future even brighter.