Miami Heat best G-Leaguer Destination?

[LAL1947]

Gary Payton II also played for the Raptors 905 last before landing a full time job with the Warriors.

How you gonna take credit for Gary Payton II over his own work, his dad and the 3-4 other NBA teams he also played for?

[Phish Tank]

This is of no surprise. Riley & Spo have set up a culture of accountability and hard work. They've been able to squeeze the most out of bit players year after year after year. Seasoned vets - as long as they put the ego to the side and bring the hard work to the court - have career seasons. From Zo to Tim Hardaway to Wade to Jimmy. From Voshon Lenard to Kapono to Anthony Carter to Duncan Robinson, the culture is undefeated if the buy-in exists.

Sometimes, the players get too comfy after their paydays (which Miami made the mistake of overpaying their own guys at times). Some of the vets with egos get sick and tired after a while too (think Tim Hardaway after 2000, Shaq, etc.). But it's a near flawless formula.

Worth noting that it's difficult for coaches within the Riley tree to implement outside Miami because there's simply no gravitas. SVG had a Finals run, but couldn't match that culture. Fiz learned the hard way. Keith Smart too.

[BBallFreak]

Gary Payton II also played for the Raptors 905 last before landing a full time job with the Warriors.

How you gonna take credit for Gary Payton II over his own work, his dad and the 3-4 other NBA teams he also played for?

I think they should get the credit since they were the team that found a legitimate role for him.

Sent from my BE2025 using RealGM Forums mobile app

[LoveMyRaps]

Spurs have done great, but would you care to elaborate about the un-drafted players that the Raptors developed aside form FVV?

It's not just about undrafted players.
Look at the development curve for the following guys:
Siakam, OG, Fred (UD), Powell, TD (UD), Boucher (UD), Achiuwa

Those are just the most recent examples off the top of my head. Not a single lottery pick. Siakam was the 27th overall pick and was very much a reach at the time.

A lot of players, media and league personnel always speak highly about the Raptors development staff.
We have to rely heavily on our development because it's tough getting American free agents to sign with us.

Our 2nd round selection and undrafted signee from this past season (Banton and Champagnie) tore up the G-League and led the 905 to the best regular season record and the G-League conference finals.

Gary Payton II also played for the Raptors 905 last before landing a full time job with the Warriors.

Also Oshae Brissett spent a bunch of time in the 905 and Raps development system as an undrafted player and then moved on to Indiana where he started getting playing time.

Great call out. Brissett's name totally slipped my mind.
Another undrafted Canadian prospect morphed into a terrific role player.

[Shock Defeat]

goes to show that the reason many rookies don't pan out is not because of lack of talent, it's the lack of player development. Players that the Kings, Magic, or the Knicks draft wouldn't have been busts if they were drafted in to the raptors or heat org.

[Ballerhogger]

Lakers did well with Caruso and now Austin , McClung will be a nba player

[slicedbread2]

It's pretty crazy how big the difference between a player either realizing their potential whether it be completely, half-way or missing out on it. Landing on the right team whether it be through the draft/FA can help them realize it and being on the wrong team that has a poor drafting+developmental culture can completely kill a player's psyche and the mental part is just as if not more important than the physical.

You can be the best conditioned athlete, but if you don't have a team with a coaching and developmental staff that can work with you in setting you up to succeed it can ruin you completely. Miami has done a phenomenal job in getting a lot of players whether it be Derrick Jones Jr., Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson, Dion Waiters and a bunch of undrafted players like Tyler Johnson and others paid.

The Raptors, Heat, Spurs, Warriors, Nets, Clippers, Grizzlies and some other teams I'm missing have done a nice job in showing how effective the g-league can be in terms of developing cheap in house replacements. You can also use it to develop late 1st round and 2nd round draft picks that aren't getting much playing time on the main squad and give them some seasoning. Your not gonna find gold, but you can mine and mould some nice diamonds in the rough and if they can become nice solid rotation players that's great. Anything extra is just icing on the cake.

[lambchop]

It's pretty crazy how big the difference between a player either realizing their potential whether it be completely, half-way or missing out on it. Landing on the right team whether it be through the draft/FA can help them realize it and being on the wrong team that has a poor drafting+developmental culture can completely kill a player's psyche and the mental part is just as if not more important than the physical.

You can be the best conditioned athlete, but if you don't have a team with a coaching and developmental staff that can work with you in setting you up to succeed it can ruin you completely. Miami has done a phenomenal job in getting a lot of players whether it be Derrick Jones Jr., Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson, Dion Waiters and a bunch of undrafted players like Tyler Johnson and others paid.

The Raptors, Heat, Spurs, Warriors, Nets, Clippers, Grizzlies and some other teams I'm missing have done a nice job in showing how effective the g-league can be in terms of developing cheap in house replacements. You can also use it to develop late 1st round and 2nd round draft picks that aren't getting much playing time on the main squad and give them some seasoning. Your not gonna find gold, but you can mine and mould some nice diamonds in the rough and if they can become nice solid rotation players that's great. Anything extra is just icing on the cake.

To me the Heat are the most impressive, simply because they even manage to integrate players that are actually pretty difficult to fit on an NBA team because they aren't specialists with one specific strength. Take guys like Waiters and Tyler Johnson. Waiters is essentially an inefficient scorer but they someone managed to get decent production out of him.

And, yea, these guys get paid and deservedly so, however, teams don't realize that those Heat players won't be able to help their teams cause they will never truly understand how to use them properly.

[Eagle4]

When did Miami “resurrect” the career of Goran Dragic?

Career definitely tanked immediately afterwards thats for sure.

[BK_2020]

Hassan Whiteside
Tyler Johnson
McGruder
Duncan Robinson
Kendrick Nunn
And now freaking
Gabe Vincent out of UC Santa Barbara AND Mas Struss out of Lewis IL and DePaul? No they are not All-stars by any means.
And forget resurrecting the careers of James Johnson, Waiters, Goran Dragic etc.
suffice it to say, there are players who failed to developed too, maybe lack of willingness to train and learn etc.
But is there a better team that finds these undrafted players?

Probably not, although some of that has to do with Miami's lack of draft picks. The Celtics for example had 14 draft picks in the last 5 years. Miami has had 4 total picks in the last 5 years. If Miami had 14 picks in the last 5 years, I don't think they focus so much on UDFA or journeymen players.

[BK_2020]

Hassan Whiteside
Tyler Johnson
McGruder
Duncan Robinson
Kendrick Nunn
And now freaking
Gabe Vincent out of UC Santa Barbara AND Mas Struss out of Lewis IL and DePaul? No they are not All-stars by any means.
And forget resurrecting the careers of James Johnson, Waiters, Goran Dragic etc.
suffice it to say, there are players who failed to developed too, maybe lack of willingness to train and learn etc.
But is there a better team that finds these undrafted players?

Probably not, although some of that has to do with Miami's lack of draft picks. The Celtics for example had 14 draft picks in the last 5 years. Miami has had 4 total picks in the last 5 years. If Miami had 14 picks in the last 5 years, I don't think they focus so much on UDFA or journeymen players.

[Warriorfan]

Credit to Mia coaching staff

[tamaraw08]

When it comes to developing players, no team does it better than the Raptors.

Followed by the Spurs, Heat, and Warriors (in no particular order).

Spurs have done great, but would you care to elaborate about the un-drafted players that the Raptors developed aside form FVV?

It's not just about undrafted players.
Look at the development curve for the following guys:
Siakam, OG, Fred (UD), Powell, TD (UD), Boucher (UD), Achiuwa

Those are just the most recent examples off the top of my head. Not a single lottery pick. Siakam was the 27th overall pick and was very much a reach at the time.

A lot of players, media and league personnel always speak highly about the Raptors development staff.
We have to rely heavily on our development because it's tough getting American free agents to sign with us.

Our 2nd round selection and undrafted signee from this past season (Banton and Champagnie) tore up the G-League and led the 905 to the best regular season record and the G-League conference finals.

Gary Payton II also played for the Raptors 905 last before landing a full time job with the Warriors.

Achiuwa was actually discovered and was being nurtured by Miami but was a added to the trade package so...
The title thread was basically for un-drafted/Gleaguers where Miami had at least 6 players that past 3-4 years, who probably be playing semi pro abroad, Raptors have certainly done well but if you are throwing in 27th picks etc, then you are expanding the scope and must mention other teams now like the Lakers who acquired Clarkson, Kuz, Hart, Zubac, Bryant etc aside from developing undrafted ones like Caruso and Reaves.

[edmunder_prc]

Would love it if the Pistons front office was this good.

We did pick up Braxton Key and he looked excellent at the end of the season. 6-8, fast, great defense, makes plays.

[LoveMyRaps]

Spurs have done great, but would you care to elaborate about the un-drafted players that the Raptors developed aside form FVV?

It's not just about undrafted players.
Look at the development curve for the following guys:
Siakam, OG, Fred (UD), Powell, TD (UD), Boucher (UD), Achiuwa

Those are just the most recent examples off the top of my head. Not a single lottery pick. Siakam was the 27th overall pick and was very much a reach at the time.

A lot of players, media and league personnel always speak highly about the Raptors development staff.
We have to rely heavily on our development because it's tough getting American free agents to sign with us.

Our 2nd round selection and undrafted signee from this past season (Banton and Champagnie) tore up the G-League and led the 905 to the best regular season record and the G-League conference finals.

Gary Payton II also played for the Raptors 905 last before landing a full time job with the Warriors.

Achiuwa was actually discovered and was being nurtured by Miami but was a added to the trade package so...
The title thread was basically for un-drafted/Gleaguers where Miami had at least 6 players that past 3-4 years, who probably be playing semi pro abroad, Raptors have certainly done well but if you are throwing in 27th picks etc, then you are expanding the scope and must mention other teams now like the Lakers who acquired Clarkson, Kuz, Hart, Zubac, Bryant etc aside from developing undrafted ones like Caruso and Reaves.

Are you kidding???
The difference between Achiuwa in a Heat jersey and a Raptors jersey is night & day.
Raptors made him who he is today. Achiuwa was barely getting any runs with the Heat team and utilized solely as a rim runner.
He attempted 1 three (made 0) in his rookie year with the Heat.
With the Raptors, he attempted 156 and shot 36% from behind the arc.
Post all-star break, Precious shot 36-89 from deep (40.5%).
Raptors also utilized him as a ball handler and a guy that was asked to defend 1 through 5. (He was the Raptors best defender last season as well).

Raptors had him doing stuff like this:

So yeah... it's pretty ignorant of you to give Miami the credit for Achiuwa's development.

Even Heat fans will tell you that Precious was a completely different player this season.

[BBallFreak]

Including Siakim and Achiuwa defeats the purpose of this thread. These were first round picks. Title literally references G-Leaguers. Toronto doesn't need to hold up those two in order to prove they're good at this kind of player development, though.

[Karate Diop]

The Heat are one of the few teams left that controls their players rather than letting their players control them. They find guys who accept their roles and just play much like the Spurs of the past.

They're not name brand guys or very flashy but they excel at their roles.

[LascelleL]

Pat Riley has been doing this forever. Anthony Mason and John Starks were nobodies until they got in his program. Ike Austin another one that comes to mind. Tim Hardaway was an incredible reclamation project coming off of injury and had a brilliant second act in Miami. The way that they’ve been able to build back up after the Lebron era without ever really fully bottoming out is kinda remarkable

CULTURE.

People underrate how important it is to build CULTURE before you go about acquiring Talent. Having a God like Pat Riley who is a Legend that coached the likes of KAJ, Magic, Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dwade, Shaq, Bosh and Lebron will do that. Who is going to tell Pat to get stuffed?

There's a reason Kyrie and KD stayed far away from Miami.

[Eric Bieniemy]

Pat Riley has been doing this forever. Anthony Mason and John Starks were nobodies until they got in his program. Ike Austin another one that comes to mind. Tim Hardaway was an incredible reclamation project coming off of injury and had a brilliant second act in Miami. The way that they’ve been able to build back up after the Lebron era without ever really fully bottoming out is kinda remarkable

Add Ike Austin to that list as well. Riley pulled him off the scrap heap for the Heat and he averaged nearly 14 a game for them.

Voshon Leonard too.

[BBallFreak]

The Heat are one of the few teams left that controls their players rather than letting their players control them. They find guys who accept their roles and just play much like the Spurs of the past.

They're not name brand guys or very flashy but they excel at their roles.

That's part of the culture imo.

We bring in a certain type of player. They have to be more interested in the work than in the life, if that makes any sense. Jimmy Butler fits that, along with PJ Tucker and Udonis Haslem. It's who they are.

Not every player that plays in Miami is that kind of fit. For instance, I wasn't sure if Tyler Herro was going to make it here after last year. He seemed more interested in his fame than his game. Thankfully, he's seemingly changed that. Deon Waiters, Hassan Whiteside, and many others have come through and discovered the culture wasn't for them, or they improved their financial position and moved on.

We also have a lot of guys who are hungry. Guys like Vincent, Martin, Yurtseven, Robinson, and Strus. These guys were given up on or ignored. Miami finds that one NBA caliber skill and then helps them build on it. There's a story about Haslem when he first came to Miami. He asked Riley how he could get playing time and keep it. Riley told him, "Rebound." That's it. That all Riley said to him. Rebound. Haslem is Miami's all time rebounding leader.