The Miami Heat have had their fair share of Marquette Golden Eagle players who have contributed to the Heat Culture. Moving from the 414 to the 305, Dwyane Wade became the golden representative of the Miami Heat, while Jimmy Butler served the Heat well before the drama soured the end of his run. But this year, there is a Marquette player the Heat could take a chance on in the back half of the first round on Wednesday night’s NBA Draft.

At 6’4”, Kam Jones could play the point guard role for Miami, or he could be a smaller two-guard, like his Marquette predecessor Dwyane Wade, who was the same height. While we looked specifically at point guard being an option for Miami, drafting Kam Jones to play either position wouldn’t be a bad selection on Miami’s part.

Marquette has a history of producing dudes like Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler, and I consider Kam Jones another dude who could be a household name in the NBA, and specifically Miami.

Kam Jones is a three-level scorer who has a natural knack for putting the ball in the basket. Some players coming out of college specialize in catch-and-shoot opportunities, or off the dribble, but Kam Jones knows no difference. In his senior season at Marquette, Kam Jones averaged 19.2 PPG on 48.3% shooting. This is also with a career-high 5.9 assists, proving he can not only make shots, but create shots for his teammates as well.

Kam Jones passes the eye test offensively. If you haven’t, go back and watch some Marquette games from the last couple of seasons. Jones is a great finisher at the rim with how he controls his body in motion, and even without the ball in his hands, he’s always finding the best spot to be on the floor.

While the eye test helps elevate Kam’s stock, the level of competition can help Kam Jones find a place on an NBA roster. Jones’ final collegiate games came against St. John’s (twice), UConn, Xavier, and New Mexico in Marquette’s opening round exit of the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Kam averaged 24 points per game against stout competition in those final five contests, while still contributing as a distributor and crashing the boards.

Kam Jones does raise concerns, only because he’s not a lottery draft pick. Some could be scared away by his age at 23 years old. In an era that values 19 year olds with their ability to be molded into the NBA game and fresher legs, there is something about Kam Jones that lends his age to be a strength and not a weakness. Jones still plays with explosion attacking the basket. He also has a proven track record of growing and developing year after year. With the right coaching, Jones can continue building and improving his game. And with the infrastructure in Miami, along with their knowledge of Marquette players, this is a perfect system to maximize Kam’s full potential.

Kam Jones does fill a need for Miami. Being thinner at guard, with the likelihood of Duncan Robinson being traded, and the Terry Rozier experiment failing, there are plenty of opportunities for Kam Jones to step in, learn the system, and be a mainstay for Miami, whether he’s plugged in at the 1 or the 2.

If you think Kam’s draft stock is too low to be considered at number 20, Miami has often “reached” for players who fit their culture. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a recent name that comes to mind, a player nobody touted highly but fit the work ethic Miami looks for. Whenever they went solely based on talent, you draft a Justise Winslow at ten.

Kam Jones hopes to hear his name called on Wednesday night, and at the latest, on Thursday. But whoever gets Jones in a stacked guard class will be glad they did, especially if it’s Miami.