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As Miami Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis works on his skills in the NBA Summer League, there's no doubt that his start has been a rough one, to say the least. With the Heat having a plan with Jakucionis on how to help him improve throughout the Summer League, the 19-year-old isn't panicking at all, understanding this time is being used to hone in on his craft.
Still, it has been a frustrating start for Jakucionis as through three games in the Summer League, he has totaled 12 points, but 10 of those have come from the free-throw line. He's made just one shot out of 15 attempts from the field, missing 11 of them from three-point range to go with six assists and 12 rebounds, but Jakucionis sees this as a “process,” according to The Miami Herald.
“I think I need to just settle in more, play at my own pace, don’t get sped up too much as I was these three games,” Jakucionis said. “I didn’t feel myself in those games. But I think that’s normal. It’s a process, so I’m just happy to be here, happy to be able to learn from coaches, from other guys by working out, watching film, and just understanding the game.”
“I think I’m just not in a rhythm,” Jakucionis continued. “I’m just trying to get back in a rhythm after all the process I had. So I’m just trying to get back to myself and just trying to execute as hard as I can. When I go to the court, I just give 100%. Even if I don’t do the best on offense, I try to give 100% on defense and just try to help the team to win.”
Heat's Kasparas Jakucionis isn't concerned about the shooting numbers
It's no doubt been a different experience for the Heat rookie in Jakucionis, playing overseas and eventually at the college level with the University of Illinois. Jakucionis still has the abilities and talent that could help Miami, especially with his play-making and ball-handling, but it will take time for him to play at an NBA level.
Looking at his offense, Jakucionis isn't concerned about his shooting, saying it's a “matter of time” before shots start falling.
“I’m not too worried about shooting,” Jakucionis said. “I know that I can shoot, and it’s just a matter of time. Just trying to work on it, just trying to do what the coach says and execute as hard as I can.”
Miami wrapped up the California Classic Tuesday, beating the Golden State Warriors, 93-79. After Jakucionis scored five points, missing all five attempts from the field, Heat Summer League head coach Eric Glass is confident that the Lithuanian-born player will “get better.”
“Kas is going to continue to get better,” Glass said. “This is a process. He’s 19 years old. This is just what it is. I saw more confidence in him. He gained a little bit of his footing. I felt like he’s a little bit more comfortable out there today, and he had really improved on what we were coaching him on the first couple of games. We’re starting to see him play a little bit more like himself.”
The team now goes to Las Vegas, where the first Summer League game will be against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
