Heat rookie drawing inspiration from LeBron James

Kasparas Jakucionis is the Miami Heat's latest draft prospect. The 19-year-old is seen as a potentially elite playmaker and three-level scorer. However, questions remain regarding his decision-making, as he averaged 3.7 turnovers per game for Illinois last season.

Nevertheless, Jakucionis joins the Heat with previous experience of working in a professional basketball environment. He spent two seasons with Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB. As such, his overall game is more polished than some other rookies in his class.

It's clear that Jakucionis has got all the tools to be a high-level offensive talent. You can see he's taken inspiration from NBA stars that came before him, and looked to build his game around the ideas he's adopted over the years.

In a recent interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Jakucionis admitted that, like millions of other hoops fans, LeBron James has always been his favorite player. 

"When I was little, he was my hero," Jakucionis said. "He's a complete basketball player. He does everything for the team to win. He's a winning guy. He's involving other players in the game. He can score whenever he wants. He defends. Basically, he is the true leader. It's also his mental approach to the game and how he takes care of his body and how he works out. All of those things matter."

When watching Jakucionis play, you can see James' influence in his game. From how he's always looking to pass to the way he sets himself up on drives, there's a clear stylistic link. And, while Jakucionis is unlikely ever to reach the heights that James has, there's no better player to model your game around. 

From Miami's standpoint, it will know it drafted a potential offensive star. Yet, the Heat would likely rather that Jakucionis embodies James' work ethic, professionalism and commitment rather than his on-court approach. After all, it's what you do off the court that determines the success you will have on it.