NBA: Ranking every team based off draft success over the last 20 years

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Miami Heat Bam Adebayo (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

12. Miami Heat: 38 points

2002: Caron Butler: 2 (2x all-star)
2003: Dwyane Wade: 36 (13x all-star, 2x 1st team, 3x 2nd team, 3x 3rd team)
2008: Mario Chalmers: 0.5
2008: Michael Beasley: -2 (bust with 2nd overall pick)
2015: Josh Richardson: 0.5
2017: Bam Adebayo: 1 (1x all-star)

The Heat’s last two decades of drafting is pretty difficult to evaluate. After not having a first-round pick in 2000 or 2001, the Heat used their first round picks in the following two drafts to land Caron Butler and Dwyane Wade. Obviously a huge win, especially when you consider that they used Butler as one of the key trade pieces in the deal that brought Shaquille O’Neal to Miami in 2004.

After that, we really don’t have a lot of information to work with. They didn’t have a first-round pick again from 2009-2011 and 2013 or 2016. You also have to take into account the Big 3’s dominance that put any first-round picks they did have at the very end of the first round. And since the Big 3 went their separate ways they’ve only had three first-round picks which have all been pretty solid players (Justise Winslow, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro).

You could point to their whiffs on late first-rounders from 2004-2007 or the Michael Beasley selection with the second pick in 2008 if you wanted to pick nits, and you’d be right, but context with the Beasley pick is important. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was going to take Beasley at that spot if he was there. He averaged 26/12 at Kansas State and by many accounts, was the consensus number one pick in the draft until Derrick Rose stole that spot with a historic NCAA tournament run.

Overall, the Heat’s last 20 years of drafting has brought 1 Hall of Famer, 1 bust, some solid role players, and 3 championships. 30 out of 30 teams would sign up for that in a heartbeat.