Pat Riley isn't often interested in much of a development project. Especially when the project is found deep in the second round of a draft. Especially when that draft is widely considered a weak one. As such, when the Miami Heat had no draft picks in the 2013 NBA Draft, it seemed reasonable to think that Riley would let the day pass without any movement.

That's why when it was announced that the Heat had acquired the athletic wing James Ennis, a senior out of Long Beach State, who the Atlanta Hawks had selected with the 50th pick, it was far more exciting for Heat fans than a usual late second round acquisition. It appeared that Riley clearly saw something of value in Ennis.

Just a few months later, Ennis made his professional debut for the Perth Wildcats in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). His performance may not have received much recognition at all in NBA circles, but it was certainly felt in Australia. A member of the Miami Heat was bringing great excitement to the NBL through thunderous dunks, athletic blocks and lights-out long range shooting. This theme continued throughout the season, with his gaudy stat line (22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists) drawing comparisons by Australian fans to another fairly significant Miami Heat basketballer - someone by the name of LeBron James.

As the 2013-2014 NBA season wore on and just about every single veteran role player on the Heat lost form or broke down at some stage, it became clear that the Heat were going to need an infusion of youth and athleticism if they were to continue to compete for championships. The defense looked tired and disinterested at times, a far cry from the high intensity spurts which were instrumental in delivering the 2012 and 2013 NBA titles to South Florida.

In Australia, we were constantly reminded of Ennis's athleticism, length, hunger and intensity as he guided the Wildcats to the NBL championship. While there was no guarantee that his skills would translate to the much tougher NBA, it became increasingly apparent that it was a matter of when, and not if, Riley would be asking to see him back over in the US.

Fast-forward to today, and it is clear through his dominant Summer League performances that Ennis is ready to give the NBA a shot.

So how exactly does he fit in the post-Lebron Heat? Of course he isn't expected to repeat his NBL stats in the NBA. He isn't expected to be a starter or even necessarily a vital bench player, but he can certainly make a difference on this new-look Heat roster. And after seeing him outplay many of the top rookies in Summer League, don't be shocked when his name appears on the Rookie Ladder on occasion throughout the season.

In an exciting new era of Heat basketball, fans can expect to see a new face ready to make an impact on both ends of the court and perform well above his draft position. Oh, and there will definitely be some highlight plays. Heat fans, prepare to be pleasantly surprised.