MIAMI – The Miami Heat’s newest first-round pick already seems like a natural fit in South Florida — and not just because of his game.
Kasparas Jakucionis, the 6-foot-5 Lithuanian guard selected 20th overall in the NBA Draft on Wednesday, is fluent in Spanish after playing for the youth ranks at FC Barcelona as a teenager.
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That caught the attention of Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who called Jakucionis after the pick to welcome him to the team on Wednesday.
“You speak Spanish too, right?” Spoelstra asked over the phone.
“I do speak Spanish, yeah,” Jakucionis replied.
“Oh man, you’re gonna be a star down here. [Fans] are gonna love you,” Spoelstra said. “Yeah, you gotta do some part of your press conference in Spanish.”
The 19-year-old played with the University of Illinois last season.
Jakucionis finished last season averaging 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game for the Fighting Illini.
He became fluent in Spanish while living and competing in Spain, a fact that could help him quickly endear himself to fans in Miami’s bilingual and multicultural market.
But while the off-court connection is already making waves, the Heat are hoping he’ll shine on the court, too.
Jakucionis was projected by many draft analysts as a potential lottery pick, thanks to his playmaking and scoring skills.
But concerns about turnovers — he averaged nearly four per game in a high-usage role — may have led to his slide to the Heat at No. 20.
Still, the team isn’t too concerned.
“I think there are turnovers that you can work with,” said Miami’s Vice President of Basketball Operations Adam Simon. “I think those are correctable, they’re teachable … but if you just watched all his film and he’s making good reads out there, he’s making plays. It’s a learning process where you’re learning to become a scorer, which he has.
“He’s a very good scorer,” Simon added. “You can get downhill and also he’s making reads, and that’s just part of a learning process.”
Jakucionis averaged 11.3 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 23 minutes per game this past season with Barcelona B.
His versatility, youth and professional experience overseas make him one of the more intriguing international prospects in this year’s class.
And in Miami, where both talent and personality matter, he’s already making a strong first impression.
The Miami Heat ended Thursday night’s NBA Draft without making a second-round selection, choosing not to trade or purchase a pick to get back into the round.
Jakucionis will be formally introduced in Miami at a press conference Friday.
