Kasparus Jakusionis has been playing a valuable role with the Miami Heat during his rookie season. After a ball-dominant freshman season at Illinois, the No. 20 pick's dramatic shooting improvement has allowed him to catch up with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others.
After shooting 31.8 percent from three with Illinois, Jacusionis is shooting 44.0 percent from three on 7.5 attempts per 100 possessions this season. The 19-year-old leads all rookies in three-point percentage (minimum 30 attempts).
"Kas has really been working on it, and he's obviously one of our better three-point shooters," Erik Spoelstra said after Thursday's win over the Brooklyn Nets. "I don't know if you can make that case in July. He was a good three-point shooter, but he's really refined it. His release is sharp. His reps are always at the top of our roster in the gym. And he's able to do a little bit more going forward now, and it really helps us. We need that differentiation, we need his creativity, we need the things he can do off the dribble, but we look at his shooting, others. He is getting the benefits of playing. And he will get even better.”
"It's hard to find players that can do both. They can make plays off the ball and move and get into open spaces. He's also a very good, smart catch-and-go guy. But in his one year at Illinois, he was ball dominant, so he's one of those guys. It won't be as much with us right now, but you can see he'll have a skill set that he can lean on as well."
Jacusionis' floor spacing has allowed him to make an immediate impact.
Kasparas Jakusionis getting attention amid shooting improvement with Heat
According to CleaningTheGlass, the Heat score 3.7 more points per 100 possessions with the rookie on the court versus off. This is the fifth-best mark in the NBA among all players under the age of 22.
"He's not hesitating. He's not really thinking about it. He's just catching and just shooting it," Bam Adebayo said. "When you're in that kind of rhythm, we want you to just catch and shoot. Don't overthink it. Because a lot of times that's going to be the best shot you're going to get. So for Kass, it's just keeping it simple for him."
Jaksionis would play a key role in the Heat's playoff run in the final 19 games of the regular season. The Lithuanian guard has played 19.8 minutes per game over the past five weeks, eighth-most on the team.
The Heat are struggling to avoid falling in the Eastern Conference Play-in Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. Miami, the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic are separated by half a game for the East's sixth to eighth seeds.
