It was not a clean performance from Miami Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis in the California Classic.
In fact, it was anything but.
Jakucionis struggled mightily to find any sort of rhythm over his three-game stint last weekend, averaging just 4.0 points while shooting just 1-of-15 from the floor and 0-of-11 from 3-point range. The Heat still went 2-1 in San Francisco, Calif., but it was an incredibly rough display for the Heat’s No. 20 pick.
After Tuesday’s 93-79 win over the Warriors, Jakucionis opened up about his poor play to begin his Heat career.
“I think I need to settle in more, play at my own pace, don’t get sped up much as I was in these 3 games,” Jakucionis said, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I didn’t feel myself in those games, but I think that’s normal. It’s a process, so I’m just happy to be here, be able learn from coaches, from other guys by working out, watching film and understanding the game.
“I think I’m just not in a rhythm. I’m just trying to get back in a rhythm after all the process I had. So I’m just trying to get back to myself and just trying to execute as hard as I can. When I go to the court, I just give 100%. Even if I don’t do the best on offense, I try to give 100% on defense and just try to help the team to win.”
The Miami Heat begin their five-game Las Vegas Summer League trip Friday against the Atlanta Hawks at 4:30 p.m. EST.
Jakucionis was not only among the most disappointing Heat player to play in San Francisco, but one of the most disappointing players the entire tournament.
While I am still of the belief that he wasn’t used properly — he was primarily deployed off-ball as opposed to on-ball — Jakucionis’ handle was shaky, his burst was non-existent and his shooting mechanics were chaotic. He never looked comfortable offensively–the complete opposite of his freshman season at Illinois, where he was one of the best point guards in the country.
Where he was impactful was at the point-of-attack defensively and finding ways to impact the game when he wasn’t on-ball; his porous offense didn’t affect his defense, which is a positive, if you’re looking for any silver lining.
Still, it was quite rough and very underwhelming.
Does this mean that the Heat should have buyer’s remorse?! Absolutely not. Not all players develop the same way. Did I expect Jakucionis to be further along?! Yes. Do I expect him to play better in Las Vegas? Also yes. Does this three-game sample carry any indication for how his career plays out? No, even though you always want to see your first-round picks dazzle in Summer League against weaker competiton.
There’s no sugarcoating his last four days: They were bad. But now the 19-year-old point guard can change his fortune, where he’ll have more eyeballs than ever over the next week-and-a-half.
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Give him some time and in a more structured offense and he will shine.
The pick was made and we have to hope for the best. We have give these players, like Jovic and JJJ, a long time to see if they produce, hoping they will find their game. But, the good ones, like Herro and Ware, you can usually see it right away.
He will hit a jumper eventually, and things will look much better. But I thought he is closer to NBA level player then he is.
Booker highest paid?! Suns not gonna rise anymore in the valley.
freshman jitters. i was an above average pickup game player in our area but when i joined an organized league (which is a million of them here in manila alone) i sucked so much i didnt pick up a ball for a year after that stint lol. the next time i did join, i was a ref haha
If you cant beat them ref them. Brilliant.
I never came that far, I just gave up.
He was never expected to be a key member of Miami’s rotation this year. He will need time to adjust to the NBA game and find his own pace. Leave him alone for a year and let’s see how he does in the 2026 Summer League.
Meanwhile, Miami has more pressing matters to address.
Please please please. Sure, 3 bad games in a row. If I were coaching, I would have him come off the bench in Las Vegas to take a little pressure off. But, regardless of what he does in the next couple of weeks, it is too soon to reach any sort of conclusion.
Yeah, kiddo is barely 19. He is a long term project. We knew he’s no Lebron.