After rough start to summer league for rookie Kasparas Jakucionis, Heat stresses the ‘process’
After just three summer league games, Miami Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis is ready for a fresh start.
Good thing for Jakucionis, he will get one after a rough summer league debut at the California Classic. With the Heat closing its three-game summer league stay at the California Classic with a 93-79 win against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at Chase Center in San Francisco, it’s off to Nevada for Las Vegas Summer League.
Jakucionis, who was selected by the Heat with the 20th pick in the first round of last month’s draft, is looking to move past an underwhelming showing in San Francisco.
Jakucionis totaled just 12 points on 1-of-15 (6.7%) from the field, 0-of-11 shooting from three-point range and 10-of-12 shooting from the foul line in his first three summer league games at the California Classic. The 6-foot-6 Lithuanian guard also committed 12 turnovers to six assists during this three-game stretch.
“I think I need to just settle in more, play at my own pace, don’t get sped up too much as I was these three games,” Jakucionis said after recording five points on 0-of-5 shooting from the field, 0-of-4 shooting on threes and 5-of-6 shooting from the foul line, four rebounds, three assists and four turnovers in Tuesday’s summer league win over the Warriors. “I didn’t feel myself in those games. But I think that’s normal. It’s a process, so I’m just happy to be here, happy to be able to learn from coaches, from other guys by working out, watching film and just understanding the game.”
When asked why he has been sped up early in summer league, Jakucionis pointed to the three-month layoff between his final college game with Illinois and his first NBA summer league game.
“I think I’m just not in a rhythm,” he said. “I’m just trying to get back in a rhythm after all the process I had. So I’m just trying to get back to myself and just trying to execute as hard as I can. When I go to the court, I just give 100%. Even if I don’t do the best on offense, I try to give 100% on defense and just try to help the team to win.”
As far as his shooting slump to begin summer league, Jakucionis isn’t concerned.
“I’m not too worried about shooting,” he said. “I know that I can shoot and it’s just a matter of time. Just trying to work on it, just trying to do what the coach says and execute as hard as I can.”
But turnovers and three-point shooting were two issues Jakucionis also dealt with during his lone college season. While still impressing as a freshman at Illinois, he averaged 3.7 turnovers per game for an exceptionally high turnover rate of 25.4% and shot just 31.8% on 5.2 three-point attempts per game last season.
The Heat and Jakucionis aren’t worried after three summer league games, though. After all, Jakucionis just turned 19 years old on May 29.
“Kas is going to continue to get better,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Eric Glass said after wrapping up the California Classic. “This is a process. He’s 19 years old. This is just what it is. I saw more confidence in him. He gained a little bit of his footing. I felt like he’s a little bit more comfortable out there today and he had really improved on what we were coaching him on the first couple of games. .... We’re starting to see him play a little bit more like himself. The shooting will come. We’re not concerned about that.”
While the shots haven’t been going in for Jakucionis, he has made an impact in other ways. With the Heat going 2-1 at the California Classic, he generated 12 free-throw attempts for himself and came away with four steals in his first three summer league games.
“I think there’s a lot that comes to winning, not only making shots,” Jakucionis said. “A lot of things go into that and I’m just trying to control what I can control, and try to do the best for the team.”
Now it’s off to Las Vegas for Jakucionis and the Heat, where they will play at least five more summer league games. The Heat, which won the Las Vegas Summer League championship last year, begins Las Vegas Summer League this year on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks (4:30 p.m., ESPN2).
Even after a knee-to-knee collision that led to Jakucionis limping off the court late in Tuesday’s victory over the Warriors, he expects to be available for games in Las Vegas.
“I’m excited,” Jakucionis said, looking ahead to Las Vegas. “I’m excited and I want to get back-to-back championships. I know Miami won last year. So I’m just going to try to do everything I can for us to win.”
Here are some other things to know from the Heat’s summer league victory over the Warriors on Tuesday:
▪ The Heat went with a starting lineup of guards Jakucionis and Kira Lewis, forwards Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson, and center Vlad Goldin for Tuesday’s summer league game.
The Heat then used forward Myron Gardner, center Oumar Ballo, guard Marcus Williams, forward Steve Settle III, guard Javonte Cooke, forward JC Butler and center Dain Dainja off the bench against the Warriors. Gardner left the game early with a hand injury and did not return.
▪ Heat center Kel’el Ware got the day off Tuesday after playing in the first two summer league games at the California Classic.
Ware, who closed his rookie year last season as the Heat’s starting center on his way to being selected for the NBA All-Rookie second team, averaged 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 27.5 minutes per appearance while shooting 9 of 24 (37.5%) from the field and 1 of 8 (12.5%) from three-point range over his first two summer league games this year.
▪ While Ware got the day off Tuesday, three other players signed by the Heat to standard contracts for next season did play: Jakucionis, Larsson and Johnson.
Larsson totaled 15 points 5-of-10 shooting from the field, 1-of-3 shooting on threes and 4-of-5 shooting from the foul line, five rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes. The Heat outscored the Warriors by 29 points with Larsson on the court.
Johnson recorded 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, 2-of-5 shooting on threes and 1-of-2 shooting from the foul line, four rebounds, two assists, one block and five turnovers in 28 minutes.
Larsson and Johnson were among the five players from the four-team event who were selected for this year’s All-California Classic Team.
▪ Through the Heat’s first three summer league games this year, Larsson has been among the most impressive players for Miami.
Larsson, who played in 55 games (eight starts) for the Heat as a rookie last season after being selected by Miami in the second round of last year’s draft, has averaged 16.5 points, four rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 9-of-22 (40.9%) shooting from the field, 1-of-7 (14.3%) shooting from behind the arc and 14-of-16 (87.5%) from the foul line in his first two summer league games this year. He did not play in the Heat’s second summer league game.
Larsson has relentlessly attacked the basket, with seven of his nine made baskets coming in the paint and drawing 16 free throws in his first two summer league games.
▪ Goldin, who is the only player the Heat currently has signed to a two-way contract, finished Tuesday’s win with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 20 minutes.
The Heat signed the 7-foot-1 Goldin to a two-way deal shortly after he went undrafted out of Michigan last month.
Two-way contracts, which pay half the NBA rookie minimum and do not count toward the salary cap or luxury tax, allow for players to be on their NBA team’s active list for as many as 50 regular-season games with other game action having to come in the G League. Two-way deals can be swapped out at any time and do not come with playoff eligibility.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 9:03 PM.
