NBA Insider Calls Pat Riley ‘A Detriment to the Heat’

While Jakucionis may prove valuable for Miami, their decision to pass on the more highly-touted Walter Clayton Jr. did not sit well with NBA insider Kevin O'Connor.

With Clayton Jr. still available at No. 18, and all eyes on Miami after the Jimmy Butler trade, the Heat inexplicably held back. Yet, Miami's inaction allowed the Utah Jazz to swoop in, trading with the Washington Wizards to select the Florida native and leaving Riley and the Heat's front office to simply watch.

O’Connor delivered a brutally frank assessment of the Heat's leadership after Miami chose to draft Jakucionis instead of Clayton.

“Is Pat Riley washed? I think Pat Riley is a detriment to the Heat at this point with his decisions in recent years. They are in the worst place, stuck in the middle. And that’s in large part due to Pat Riley’s insistence on winning games, but you’re not winning enough,” he said on the Yahoo Sports NBA Draft live show.

The former Utah Jazz general manager also believes Miami had the worst draft night.

“I gave it to the Heat. Kasparas Jakucionis I gave a D+ to. So, with the Heat, as we talked about earlier, some of the questions about what’s going on there. What’s the direction of the franchise? What are the priorities? That plays into Jakucionis with that draft grade. Ultimately, could be a good player, could be. But I just think with the Miami Heat situation, that’s where I have my biggest concerns.”