Las Vegas — Erik Stevenson has been a standout for the Miami Heat’s Summer League team, and he could be the next in a long line of three-point-specialist development projects for the franchise, which includes the recently departed Duncan Robinsin. Adding shooting would be ideal for Bam Adebayo. Stevenson averaged 9.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in his first four Las Vegas games, shooting 48.7% from the field and 54.5% from deep.
Stevenson, a 26-year-old 6-foot-4 guard, has spent the previous two seasons bouncing around the G League. He spent the 2023-24 season with the Austin Spurs and Texas Legends before joining the Capital City Go-Go last year.
Now the Heat can have a peek at him.
How can Erik Stevenson help the Heat?
Three-point shooting is considered one of the most essential abilities in the NBA nowadays. And, during the last five years, the Heat has made it a point to surround their stars with exceptional three-point shooters.
Robinson is the most notable example, having risen to Heat renown during the 2019-20 season, including an excellent performance in The Bubble during Miami’s journey to the NBA Finals.
He’s one of the top shooters in the NBA right now, and despite his departure from the Heat, he may be the best pure shooter in franchise history. Robinson signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Pistons this summer.
Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent are two more examples of Heat guys that were discovered, nurtured, and transformed into NBA rotation players. Both, like Robinson, are no longer members of the team.
This is where Stevenson comes into play. Despite his previous inconsistency, he has proven to be a very competent three-point shooter during Summer League, and the Heat could use a fresh development project from beyond the arc, especially now that Robinson has left.
How can Erik Stevenson aid Bam Adebayo?
Adebayo is Miami’s top player right now, closely followed by Tyler Herro. However, while Adebayo excels in many aspects of the game, he has never been the finest pure scorer.
That’s where players like Stevenson come in. Stevenson will never lead a squad in scoring. Just as guys like Robinson, Vincent, and Martin will not. However, playing alongside Adebayo’s brilliance and playmaking opens up a plethora of opportunities for shooters, especially given his excellent screening ability.
The Heat require great three-point shooting around Adebayo (and Herro) at all times, and if Summer League is any indicator, Stevenson could be an excellent candidate to watch.
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