Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; 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. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Consistency the goal in year one for Miami Heat’s first-round pick

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Bryan Townes | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 6:30 AM ET

One of the most significant needs the Miami Heat have lacked ever since Kyle Lowry’s declining tenure has been a playmaking point guard that can control the pace of their offense.

This is where much of the appeal for the No. 20 overall pick comes in. Throughout his college tenure, Kasparas Jakučionis displayed a versatile skillset with plenty of flashes to become a solid pass-first guard in the NBA.

Unfortunately, turnovers and an inconsistent perimeter shot were some of his apparent flaws in the summer league. After sitting down with Couper Moorhead, Jakučionis explained his biggest goals for his rookie campaign.

“My goal is just to focus on the day-to-day and the basics,” Jakučionis said. “Try to be the best version of myself that I can be and be better than yesterday. Just taking small steps.”

After acquiring Norman Powell in the offseason and bringing back both Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith, the Heat may still lack a talented pass-first playmaker. However, the improvement in their guard depth has allowed Jakučionis to further develop without being rushed. He already has several skills in mind that he has been working on in the offseason.

“I would say everything,” Jakučionis continued. “Mostly like my shot, ball handling, and basically everything daily with the basics to be more consistent with everything.”

Davion Mitchell explains why he's a Miami Heat perfect fit

While the Miami Heat lost out on arguably the most impactful player responsible for most of their success in this decade by the trade deadline, they acquired multiple key players for the next phase of their franchise.

One of those players, Davion Mitchell, sat down with Couper Moorhead and explained why his great fit with the Heat playstyle has led to the best stretch of games for his career.

“My agent always asked me, ‘Where would you want to go if you could choose,’ and I would always say Miami because of the way they play,” Mitchell said. “Everyone plays exactly like how I play, extremely hard, and you don’t really care who’s scoring points like that. You’re just going to play hard and try to win games, and you play the right way. I’m like, I’m going to fit here so easily. I knew as soon as I got traded, I was going to fit easily.”

Before the Heat traded for him, the best guard defender on the roster was Dru Smith. Following his season-ending injury, the only other perimeter defenders were Haywood Highsmith and Pelle Larsson. Mitchell provided instant value and looked like a definitely gritty player that Heat Culture always pushes for. Outside of his defensive advantages, Mitchell shockingly became one of the best perimeter shooters for the Heat at 44.7 percent from three-point range.