Miami Heat Summer League Potential

5 Prospects Who Wowed And Disappointed The Miami Heat

With the Miami Heat all but set for the season, some would wonder why they would have one summer-league team let alone two.

We all know that there isn’t much more to look for when you have a starting lineup that features Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Add that to the fact that Chris Andersen, Mario Chalmers and Ray Allen are under contract and you have all but one player from the championship team on their way back.

Conventional wisdom would tell us that that final spot is open for Greg Oden, but all Miami can do is wait for his decision. Which makes the roster sound accounted for. However, with Joel Anthony still an amnesty possibility, the team should be using these summer sessions to dig for a diamond in the rough.

Unlike other teams rife with rookies and roster spots, the Heat are searching for a player that can sit on the bench, develop in their system and eventually contribute to their cap-strapped team.

So between last week’s Orlando games and this week’s Las Vegas romps, many of the Heat’s prospects will shine while the others fail too live up their lofty high school and college expectations.

Now these players may be far from household names to the casual fan but we have it all covered — from the high flyers to the big men to the point guards. We also have you covered from the surprises to the disappointments.

Feel free to flip through the next five slides to see which guys caught management’s attention, for better or worse.

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Richard Nurse is a Miami Heat columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr.

Jarvis Varnado

Jarvis Varnado has had such a foul-reddened summer, that it’s hard to tell if his blocked shots and rebounding numbers have been inflated because he couldn’t foul out.

That’s not a good look for Miami’s lone championship player on their summer league team.

Myck Kabongo

Myck Kabongo was supposed to be a star coming out of high school. Then his college career was derailed after a suspension for inappropriate contact with LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul. Now he’s been almost nonexistent for Miami in their first six games.

D.J. Stephens

D.J. Stephens hasn’t been a game changer, but his ability to sky 46-inches and send shots into the bleachers has made him a much talked about prospect.

James Ennis

Through six games, James Ennis has averaged 12.8 points while showing a decent ability to knock down open jump shots.

Ian Clark

Ian Clark has been the bright spot of Miami’s summer league. The combo-guard has looked pretty unstoppable while pulling up from anywhere on the court.

The former Ohio Valley Conference co-Player of the Year and Defensive All-American has also been able to run the offense and be a defensive deterrent.

Unfortunately for Miami, Clark is currently honoring his commitment to leave their summer team and play for the Golden State Warriors.