Jarvis Varnado

Jarvis Varnado - Varnado hasn't exactly expanded his game over the years, but he shouldn't especially need to. He is averaging 16.3 points, 11.7 points and 5.3 blocks per game for the Erie BayHawks thus far this season, and merits a longer NBA look than he has ever had to date.

Jarvis Varnado

Varnado is unguaranteed until opening night, and faces a roster crunch. The Heat have very few open roster spots - only Chris Andersen and Juwan Howard are free agents, and Andersen has already agreed to re-sign, giving the Heat 14 contracts. Varnado, then, may fall out of the league one more time due more to circumstances than his ability. His future might be determined by whether Mike Miller is amnestied or not. Or what happens to Ennis. Or both.

Jarvis Varnado (41st pick, 2010)

- Varnado's first professional season has been spent with Italian team Pistoia, now known due to sponsorship reasons as Tuscany Tissue. (Heh.) Playing in the second division, Varnado has averaged 15.3 points, 8.7 assists, 3.0 turnovers, 2.8 blocks and 1.9 steals per game, shooting 55% from the field and 61% from the line. In my worthless opinion, Varnado's best chance of sticking in the NBA comes if he beefs up, develops a consistent jumpshot with range, or both. He's not going to change his style of play at this stage, and nor should he. Has he done (or had the opportunity to do) either of those things in his first professional season? Not really.

Chances of making the NBA expressed as an arbitrary percentage: 10%. Will increase if he's not bound exclusively to Miami.

Pick 41: After officially announcing the Martell Webster trade, Sexual Silver announces the Heat's pick at #41; Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado. It's a decent if not optimum pick that stabilises a draft that had wobbled slightly - if Hassan Whiteside doesn't really develop much in his next two years, Varnado is what he will resemble.

Bilas says that Varnado needs to learn how to shoot, and get stronger. They are both valid criticisms. But 95% of NBA players do both of those things once they get here, and so while Varnado will never be big, he should also be a contributor.