The Miami Heat will be picking inside the top 14 teams in the upcoming draft for the first time since a little-known player named Tyler Herro in 2019. With the draft lottery coming up later this week, there are multiple lottery simulations being played out and shockingly, there is a scenario where the Heat end up with the first overall pick. They have the 13th-best odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick which makes it unlikely but not impossible.
Bleacher Report released their latest first-round mock draft ahead of the lottery on Sunday while also providing a simulation. In their projection, Miami lands the No. 1 selection, and drafts BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa. In the article, Dybantsa is given the pro comparison of Jaylen Brown, the five-time All-Star forward for the Boston Celtics.
"Viewed by most as the draft's No. 1 overall favorite, AJ Dybantsa would also slide seamlessly into a lineup between Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro," the article wrote. "Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer are each No. 1 on various scouts' boards. But there is still some hesitation about Peterson's shot difficulty and the lack of evidence of playmaking at Kansas. A fraction of NBA staff still believe Boozer's lack of explosion/quickness will restrict his advantage-creation, limit his defensive effectiveness and consequently block roads to upside."
Dybantsa helped lead the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament, falling in the Round of 64 to Texas. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from three-point range. Dybantsa was viewed as a consensus five-star recruit and was the No. 1 recruit in the ESPN recruitment rankings heading into this season.
"Nobody seems to have serious worries about Dybantsa," the article added. "It's obviously easy to project upside around a powerful, 6'9" wing with elite footwork for creation, high-level shotmaking skill, some passing smarts and an NCAA-leading 25.5-point-per-game scoring average at 19 years old. His intangibles appear to be pluses, specifically his intensity, alpha mindset and rumored professionalism. His 33.1 three-point percentage isn't setting off alarms, just based on the eye test, his 49 makes and touch indicators: 77.4 percent free throws, 44.4 percent on floaters and 47.2 percent on mid-range jumpers. While Peterson and Boozer will remain in the No. 1 overall conversation, Dybantsa's case right now has the fewest holes."
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