Shocking First-Round Pick Makes Miami Heat Fans Lose Their Minds, Question Pat Riley

The Miami Heat headed into Thursday night's NBA Draft holding the 13th overall selection, a newly acquired second-round pick (44th overall pick) they acquired in a Wednesday trade from the Atlanta Hawks, and an obvious need for a young, athletic player. With Dwyane Wade retired, bloated contracts galore, and little to no salary-cap room, the Heat needed an exciting player who could contribute right away.

In short, the team needed a hero. Instead, Miami picked Tyler Herro, a Kentucky shooting guard.

Rumor said the Heat was tied to players such as USC guard Kevin Porter Jr., so the Herro pick was a shocker. It was thought Miami would shoot for the moon and go after a high-ceiling player who could help the team overcome the salary-cap issues.

That did not happen. Miami picked a player who reminds some fans of former Heater Mike Miller. Herro might be a solid three-point shooter (he shot 35 percent from afar in college), but not the sort of player who will catapult the franchise to contender status.

The Heat then turned around and traded three second-round picks to the Indiana Pacers for the 32nd pick, Stanford forward KZ Okpala. Then, with its own number 44, Miami chose the seven-foot-three draft enigma Bol Bol. This move made many Heat fans happy because Bol Bol was projected to be chosen much sooner. Not a second after the Heat picked Bol Bol, however, it was announced the team had traded him to the Denver Nuggets.

Heat fans were not amused. AT ALL.

In fact, some found it to be the last straw for Heat president Pat Riley, who has clearly been bad at his job since LeBron James left Miami. We just call balls and strikes here. LeBron James ain't walking through that door. Dwyane Wade is drinking wine in Greece half the time. Chris Bosh is usually riding camels on Instagram.

This is a "what have you done for me lately" game. Heat fans feel like 2014 was a long time ago, and Riley is now officially in the hot seat.

So, yeah, that did not go well. Herro looks to be a quality player who can certainly help the Heat. He averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as a freshman at Kentucky. He's a legit baller with a lot of room to grow. The issue, though, is Herro seems like a safe pick. He's the sort of pick you make late in the first round, not in the lottery.

This is the sort of selection you make when you need a supporting cast member, not a star. We'll see if it works out for the Heat. For now, let's hope Tyler Herro is a quality player who will be here when a star arrives. 

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