Illinois basketball had a good NBA Draft back in June, but my hope is Miami Heat fans take a deep breath and relax when it comes to their first-round pick.
With pick No. 20 overall, the Heat selected Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis. A 6-foot-6 guard who can handle the ball, Jakucionis seems like a sure-fire starter from day one.
And on top of that, you look at Jakucionis’ highlight reel, and it is easy to fall in love with what he brings to the court. But through the first two games of the NBA Summer League, the results don’t put Miami’s worries to rest.
It is fair to say that Jakucionis has laid an egg in his first two displays in the NBA. He is a combined 1-of-10 from the field and 0-of-7 from three-point range. Jakucionis is averaging 3.5 points, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 rebounds, and 4.0 turnovers in just under 22 minutes per game.
Those are two really bad games. There is no sugarcoating it. But let’s take a step back and put everything in perspective.
Jakucionis is a 19-year-old. He spent one season in college and then headed to the NBA. This isn’t a finished product by any means. If you were thinking this was the second coming of Pistol Pete, then you were sadly misguided.
Don’t judge Jakucionis on two NBA Summer League games. That is crazy. I would argue that it is good that he struggled. It showed Jakucionis what he needs to work on. Instead of thinking he has all of the answers, now he can go into the lab and improve.
Give Kasparas Jakucionis some time, and he will be able to adapt to the Miami Heat
At Illinois, there were a couple of things I noticed that Jakucionis needed to work on to get to the NBA.
I have mentioned several times that Jakucionis doesn’t have great quickness. It is hard for him to create space with a defender. He also lacks quickness on the defensive end of the court when guarding.
Speed of the game is another issue. Jakucionis struggled with the college speed, and it is not shocking that the speed of the game in the NBA Summer League has been a struggle. Jakucionis’ mind is brilliant, but he hasn’t figured out the speed of the game yet. Once he does that, things will start clicking.
Honestly, I am not worried about Jakucionis’ shooting. I know 1-of-10 from the field and 0-of-7 from three-point range is ugly, but this kid can shoot the ball. He’ll be able to drive the lane more often and create contact, too.
Don’t bail on Jakucionis yet. I know, most were hoping he would take the world by storm, but he isn’t even 20 years old. Playing in the California Classic Summer League first is great, so now he can tweak some things and be ready for the main NBA 2K26 Summer League. Let’s sit back and watch this kid develop.