Ira Winderman: Hmm, Heat scouting path now turns to Greece (but no, not for Giannis)
MIAMI — No, Adam Simon responded with a laugh, nothing sinister at play as the Miami Heat’s assistant general manager prepared for his Thursday overnight flight to Athens, Greece, after completing pre-draft scouting work at the Chicago combine. Yes, off to Greece, as in the offseason home of NBA rumor of the moment Giannis Antetokounmpo. But for Simon, just a scouting trip of international importance, with the opportunity to scout both the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague (ANGT) Finals under-18 event as well as the EuroLeague Final Four.
Considering the international impact on the Heat roster in recent seasons, particularly this past season, it is a journey more than understandable. When the Heat opened this past season with six foreign-born players, it set a franchise record: Simone Fontecchio (Italy), Vlad Goldin (Russia), Kasparas Jakučionis (Lithuania), Nikola Jović (Serbia), Pelle Larsson (Sweden) and Andrew Wiggins (Canada). “Look,” Simon said, “the world of basketball is smaller than ever.
There’s players coming from all parts of the globe, and especially now guys even doing their development in the United States, in college. I try not to look at necessarily what country they’re from. ” Of those six internationals who began and ended last season on the Heat roster, all but Fontecchio and Jovic played collegiately in the NCAA.
This year, with the Heat slotted at No. 13 in the draft, there could be an opportunity to add even more foreign intrigue. Among those expected to fall into the Heat’s range in that slot are Mexican forward Karim Lopez, German big man Hannes Steinbach, Spanish big man Aday Mara and Estonian big man Henri Veesaar.
So while the Heat also have fared well in drafting the domestic product in recent years — including with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware — Simon said the timing was right to go international before the draft interview and workout process moves into a higher gear. “The ANGT event is really a top junior event.