As we approach the midway point of the 2025-26 season, the Miami Heat are, once again, hovering around the middle of the East at 28-27. They have stagnated — where they are capable of beating, and losing, to any team, the ultimate sign of mediocrity afoot.
Among the plethora of inconsistencies that plague this roster, one player who hasn’t been inconsistent is Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis, whose improvement is one of the few shining lights in a sea of darkness.
Jakucionis, who’s appeared in just 28 games this season after spending the first half developing with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, continued to rewrite history books in the Heat’s last two games.
The team split a pair of back-to-back games against the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. But the 6-foot-5 guard scored a career-high 22 points on 6-of-6 shooting from 3-point range against Washington, and followed up with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc versus Utah.
Thus, the Illinois alum became the fourth rookie in NBA History to score 20-plus points with at least six made 3-pointers in back-to-back games.
And the 19-year-old was also the youngest.
How Kasparas Jakucionis has silenced doubters in this key area as a rookie:
Coming out of Illinois, Jakucionis was one of the best point guards in his class. Despite dropping to No. 20, he was No. 7 on my big board. At the time of the draft, I thought he was out of the Heat’s range.
At Illinois, he averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 44.0 percent shooting and 59.0 percent true shooting. However, Jakucionis shot just 31.8 percent from 3-point range, including just 25.2 percent (5.4 3PA) in his final 20 games after suffering a midseason forearm injury on his non-shooting arm.
While he was streaky, one of the biggest reasons was the on-ball burden Jakucionis possessed. Those struggles carried over into Summer League, where the No. 20 overall draft choice shot just 21.4 percent from deep, highlighted by a 0-for-11 showing in the California Classic.
As a rookie, while the Heat rookie has struggled to blow by defenders on-ball, he’s been one of their most reliable off-ball threats; 10 of his 11 3-point makes over his last two games have been spot-up looks, where he’s now draining 50 percent (33-66) of his attempts.
Even before his most recent splurge, Jakucionis was canning 43.2 percent of his 2.0 spot-up threes per game. His confidence — and opportunity — have grown throughout the season. Jakucionis has excelled in his role as a 3-and-D guard who can function as a secondary playmaker. He’s arguably the Heat’s most dynamic playmaker already — and he’s barely scratched the surface on-ball.
At the very least, Jakucionis is silencing any pre-draft concerns regarding his shooting. Of course, he won’t be this efficient forever. But his sound mechanics, 84.5 free-throw percentage at Illinois and consistent spot-up efficiency are indicators he could be an above-average shooter at the NBA level.
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This kid reminds me of a young Dragic when he was in Phoenix, but better.
I can see him developing each year. He’s sharp, mature, physical and skilled beyond his 19 years. I see him starting by 2027-2028, or sooner.
He needs to become stronger and better driver. All the rest is there.
That’s exactly right. First, he needs to bulk up, and get stronger, but he’s already pretty solid. His three ball is outstanding.,His assists are probably already the best on the team. But, getting downhill and finishing is still not where he wants it to be. And, he’s quick enough on the d, but needs to learn how to optimize his positioning so he can deal with players who have that quick first step.