Rich Barnes- USA Today Sports
With the Miami Heat trading most of their picks from the 2013 draft away when signing the Big Three in 2010, there wasn’t much action for this organization in terms of bringing in talent from the college level. Although quiet, the Heat were able to make one small trade with the Atlanta Hawks in terms of draft picks. By trading a future second round pick for the 50th in the second round of this year’s draft, the Heat were able to get a potential sleeper by the name of James Ennis.
Who is James Ennis, you ask? Well, this Long Beach State product was the Big West Conference Player of he Year and averaged 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks. The way Ennis is able to guard multiple positions as an athletic young wing defender definitely makes him worth the attention.
Even though he may not be receiving much playing time this season, it is always viable to have some youth on your bench. Take a look at how the San Antonio Spurs organization is run. Their core Big Three may be older, but the youth they are able to interject into portions of the starting lineup and bench consistently makes them contenders season after season. The team’s success should be more based on the system and not the individual. By having younger players to fill in the gaps around your superstar core, you are creating longevity in terms of health for your highest paid players.
This was a smart move for the Heat considering they only traded a future second round pick. Who knows, Ennis could potentially crack the rotation because of something unforeseen like a potential injury or cold shooting spell from a role player. Either way, having a player of his talent, youth and athleticism as a backup option is always a good thing.
