MIAMI – With the Miami Heat drafting Kasparas Jakucionis with the 20th pick in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday, there has already been buzz about how the 19-year-old will impact the team. As Jakucionis joins Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo on the Heat, among others, there is a real possibility that the Lithuanian-born player can produce from the get-go.

Now, it's no doubt a lot of pressure to put on a young player to proclaim he'll be great in his rookie season, but with the talent present, the fanbase and organization will see early on why he could potentially be a foundational piece in the future. There's room for improvement, but there are a few aspects that Miami needed that Jakucionis obtains.

One is his ability to get downhill and get to the paint, a style of play that has been present in many Heat players. Even team vice president and assistant general manager Adam Simon called him one of the best rim finishers in the class.

The question remains if that can translate to the NBA, but that has already been thought about by Jakucionis, who said Friday afternoon during his introductory press conference that he believes it will with the help of furthering “building” up his body.

“Yeah, I think a lot,” Jakucionis said about how much that aspect will help him in the NBA. “Obviously, I need to put the work in the weight room, building my body, building my strength, and with the process and with the time it will come, but I'm just ready to work hard and be the best version of myself.”

Kasparas Jakucionis will be beneficial to the Heat

Kasparas Jakucionis stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 20th pick by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
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However, what gives Jakucionis tremendous potential with the Heat is his playmaking savvy, which has been heralded going into the NBA Draft. The player was projected to be a lottery pick, which made it a shock to some to see Jakucionis slip to the 20th pick, ripe for Miami's picking.

Going into Wednesday, the team needed a play-making guard with great ball-handling skills, and well, they got it. Especially in the pick-and-roll game, it's clear to envision Jakucionis facilitating to such players as Bam Adebayo, Kel'el Ware, and even recent two-way signing Valdislav Goldin once the Summer League player arrives in July.

There's no doubt that the play-making stood out to Simon, along with other aspects.

“What stands out is his strong ball-handling, ability to read and make plays, his toughness, his overall ability to get downhill and finish at the rim,” Simon said.

While not a direct comparison, Jakucionis likened part of his style to that of Luka Doncic and Andrew Nembhard, especially the former when it comes to his playmaking, as he said on Friday.

“So I like to be myself, but also like to take some things from other players, too. When I was little, I was watching Luka [Doncic] when he was still in Madrid, because I moved to Spain after too. So it was his, like playmaking and some shot creation. I like how Andrew Nembhard gives over 100% on both ends on the floor, trying to do the right plays, play the game the right way, shoot open shots. So I would say these two the most. But I just like to be myself.”

Jakucionis now prepares for what will hopefully be a productive Summer League stint.