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The Miami Heat struggled through the 2014-15 season and ended the year with a 37-45 record. It was difficult for them to figure out how to play without LeBron James, who ended up returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency.
Dwyane Wade looked much healthier for the majority of the season, but still had a lot on his shoulders and wore down a bit. He ended up playing in 62 regular season games, which adds up to 20 missed games throughout the year. It is becoming obvious that the Heat have to bring in a young player to take some of the stress off of his shoulders.
At this point in time, the Heat hold the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. If they decide to stick with the pick, which seems likely, they will be able to find a very talented wing player to help take pressure off of Wade. One player in particular who would be an ideal selection for Miami is Arizona Wildcats forward Stanley Johnson.
Johnson may not seem like a good pickup to help take pressure off of Wade due to being labeled as a forward, but his athleticism would make it possible for Miami to play him at the shooting guard position. He is 6-foot-7 and received comparisons to LeBron James throughout his freshman season with the Wildcats. During his first collegiate season, he averaged 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while also chipping in 1.5 steals.
He is built like a tank, and his potential is through the roof. There is no doubt that Johnson has the potential to become a superstar at the next level if he continues working hard.
Pat Riley has quite a few things to do this offseason, but filling the small forward position could be the biggest need in the draft. Luol Deng has a player option for the 2015-16 season and could very well end up walking away from it in order to secure a longer contract. If that is the case, then they will need a new starting small forward.
Chris Bosh will be back from his blood clot issue, and the Heat are expected to re-sign point guard Goran Dragic when free agency opens up. There is also the chance that Wade opts out, although it would be even more difficult for him to leave town. He will likely be back one way or the other, but the Heat will still need more talent to round out their roster.
While Johnson does look like a legitimate star in the making, there are a few issues that he will need to work on. His perimeter shooting isn’t as proficient as it should be, and he’ll need to improve that in order to reach his full offensive potential. Shooting is something that can be taught and worked on, which is why the Heat shouldn’t allow that issue to concern them too much.
Another area of improvement would be his ability to make plays for teammates. Guys can be dominant offensive players, but they can never become true superstars without developing the ability to make their teammates better around them.
All of that being said, the Heat are in perfect position to snag Johnson with the No. 10 pick. He is an exact fit for what they are trying to do and would be a potential cornerstone for the future of the franchise. Selecting him should be a no-brainer assuming he is on the board when the Heat are on the clock.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
