Player exit review: Justise Winslow’s season derailed by injury, inconsistency

Best Performance: December 22, 2016 vs. Los Angeles: 23 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals, 63 percent shooting.

Sample sizes such as this one remind you why Winslow was thought so highly of by NBA scouts.

Having lost three in a row, the Heat were on a spiral downward and the free fall was only beginning.

With Miami in early season desperation mode, Winslow put forth the best performance of his young career.

It didn’t hurt that Shaquille O’Neal’s no. 32 jersey was being raised to the rafters, either.

The Heat found themselves down by as many as 19 in the first half, and for quite some time, it appeared Miami was on its way to another nationally televised disappointment.

Refusing to rely on his outside shot for much of the night, Winslow toyed with the Lakers defense down low, scoring on an array of drives, floaters, and push shots, bringing the Heat all the way back and marking one of their more impressive victories of the year, albeit against another non-playoff team.

Not only did he dominate them with his scoring, but he also snatched a career-high 13 rebounds, matching Hassan Whiteside’s total for the game while knocking down clutch shot after clutch shot down the stretch.

All-in-all, an impressive performance that left a lasting impact on myself, and perhaps Winslow may have provided a potential glimpse into what we’ll see in the future.