UConn Huskies Liam McNeeley Receives Brutal Take Prior to 2025 NBA Draft
The 2025 NBA Draft is just around the corner, which means UConn Huskies' star Liam McNeeley will soon join the program's extensive pipeline of the players to the next level.
But with all the recent buzz McNeeley has generated around his stock, one writer believes he may not be an ideal fit for the Miami Heat. All U Can Heat's Benjamin Henderson wrote about three players the franchise should avoid on Sunday, with McNeeley being part of the bunch.
"Based on mock drafts, Liam McNeeley has seen his stock fall and could be available at No. 20. And if he is available, Miami needs to look the other way because the upside to McNeeley is extremely limited," Henderson wrote. "He shot just 31% from three and 38% overall this past season at UConn. He's 6-foot-7 but makes finishing at the rim look like a chore and has next to no bounce in his game. Add on the fact that he doesn't fit this Miami roster as currently constructed, and the Heat are better off looking elsewhere."
After finishing the 2024-25 regular season with a 37-45 record, the Heat managed to sneak into the play in tournament and defeat both the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls to reach the playoffs. However, their luck would quickly dry up, as they would be swept in round one against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Currently, Miami's front court rotation consists of Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell and Duncan Robinson. While Herro is the team's No. 1 scorer, the Heat have not been able to fully develop Mitchell since his arrival last season. The former first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft averaged just shy of eight points last year in 74 games.
It's clear that McNeeley will need some development at the next level due to his young age. But if the Heat decided to take a swing on the Huskies' leading scorer last season, there is the possibilty that he could fill a need for the franchise in the future. His ability to score from all three levels as he demonstrated last year would be perfect alongside Herro if he is able to make the transition to the NBA.
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-0a559ef1896cc035bdc24f21a1729440.jpg "Dylan Feltovich")
Dylan Feltovich attended John Carroll University and started working for numerous sites in the On SI network in 2023 as a staff writer. He has covered high school and college events around the Northeast Ohio area for several years.