NBA Draft 2023: 3 perfect picks for the Miami Heat at No. 18

Perfect NBA Draft picks for the Miami Heat: 1. Bilal Coulibaly

Coulibaly might be somewhere between Miller and Howard in terms of NBA readiness. The 6-foot-7 wing has an enormous 7-foot-3 wingspan and special athletic tools. He’s still just 18 but played a significant role for Victor Wembanyama’s Mets 92 team this year, standing out as an elite perimeter defender and showing a lot of offensive development as the season went along.

He’s mostly a slasher and finisher at that end of the floor right now but his tools and length make him a potent one. His shooting and ball-handling are a work in progress but, again, with his age and physical tools, he should be able to grow meaningfully in both areas. And on defense, he’d already be able to contribute with energy and effort, suffocating second-unit ball-handlers and off-ball scorers.

Coulibaly seems like he might be more prepared than Miller to contribute next season, even if it would mostly be at the defensive end. And because of his potential versatility, his ceiling is likely higher than Howard’s. The biggest caveat is that Coulibaly has been a high riser and it seems increasingly unlikely that he’s still on the board when the Heat are drafting.

Check out our full scouting report on Bilal Coulibaly for more information.

Check out The Step Back for more news, analysis, opinion and unique basketball coverage. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our daily email newsletter, The Whiteboard.