Player exit review: Justise Winslow’s season derailed by injury, inconsistency
By Cory Sanning
What we learned
Aside from the fact that his body just did not come to an agreement with him, we didn’t learn anything about Winslow that we already didn’t know.
His outside shot is still a work-in-progress and his offensive game as a whole still needs tweaking. Winslow attempted roughly 13 field goal attempts per game, only knocking down 4 of them on average. That’s not to say he won’t get there, but it’s quite clear this is a situation that can’t be solved over night.
In fact, it may take seasons for Winslow to morph into an effective offensive force, but that’s a risk the Heat are willing to take. During his end-of-the-season press conference, president Pat Riley offered nothing but praise for the young small forward, and even went on to bring up Kawhi Leonard comparisons. (Quote via the Miami Herald.)
"“I’ve been around players like Justise Winslow for a long time. He is a warrior, defender, cares about winning, has tremendous energy. The guy had a tough ride this year. He had a sprained wrist and played with it. Separated his shoulder, had that surgery. I took a look at a lot of those guys like Justise who came in as one and done guys. Kawhi Leonard averaged eight points a game his first year. Six years later, he’s 25. We are measuring this guy after 75 games. That’s unfair.”"
With Winslow heading into this third season as a pro and Miami looking to rise back to contender status, his development will be key in recapturing that fire.
Patience is the key, and if there’s one thing we learned from this season, it is just that.