Since the NBA Draft is exactly a week from today, here’s a look at some draft patterns the Miami Heat have had lately.

For starters, the obvious one is that they’ve picked Kentucky Wildcats with their last two lottery picks, and they both turned out pretty good. And since there are three defensive guards out of Kentucky that Miami can select, what makes you think they won’t do it again?

(By the way, get the Tyler Herro “Drip” shirt here)

Another thing with these past draft selections is that they all had a certain role in college, including Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and even Justice Winslow. Miami never seems to lean towards a player that is a bit of a freelancer, which there are a lot of in that 20 range.

That is why players on well known schools may get the edge from Miami’s perspective, since it’s less of a risk in their eyes.

And when discussing players with less of a risk, I also believe they may take a player with a lower ceiling if need be. There are many guys in this draft who are all offense and no defense, which I can tell you won’t be the way Miami goes. There are also a few that are all defense and no offense, which I think is a much more viable option.

Miami has a bunch of guys who can score the ball, but they don’t have somebody who can lock up opposing guards. This is another example of getting somebody who can try and make an immediate impact. That doesn’t mean he will have significant playing time, but that type of player can definitely get situational minutes.

And with a big man, it doesn’t always have to be about finding a fit for Bam, since he will be playing behind Bam, not next to him. Of course the goal is to eventually develop him into a starting position next to Bam, but that should not be the worry right now, since they are on the contending level.

Another thing is that Miami does not base their pick based off other people’s draft boards. There’s clearly a chance that they could possibly trade down, but they might just take a guy that is projected to go in the second round with the 20th pick. It’s all about being comfortable with the Miami Heat, and if they believe in somebody, they will go with that guy.

Obviously there is still uncertainty if Miami will keep the pick, but there definitely are some guys that fit their mold. Miami picks their players based off motor, since that will usually tell you if they’re a Miami Heat fit.

But whoever they do end up selecting, Heat fans should have zero doubt, since that mistake has already been made before.