A Youth Movement
Regardless of what anyone says, or the fact that this core has gone unnoticed among the Eastern Conference, Miami has a bright future with their young guys.
The average age combined between Bam Adebayo, Jones, Josh Richardson, and Justise Winslow is 21-22, with Richardson being the oldest at 24. The development the Heat organization takes pride in has been slowly working towards making tremendous strides with these four.
And it was on full display this past season.
Now looking forward, all four of them are locked in for this season.
Winslow has slowly developed into a point forward with immense defensive abilities to protect the paint as well. It wasn’t necessarily something in his arsenal at first, but with time it developed under head coach Erik Spoelstra. The Heat are looking at Winslow as a cornerstone within the franchise and by the looks of it have big aspirations for him.
Riley said #Heat looks at Justise Winslow as an “anchor” in the franchise.
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) July 27, 2018
Richardson, snubbed as one of the most improved defensive players, has also been underlooked by the league.
But he hasn’t by Heat Nation.
His athleticism has been beneficial to his growth as a two-way player. He improved his defensive rebounding percentage from 8.5 to 9.0, as well as steals from 1.7 to 2.4 in a span of only two years. A lanky, smart player like Richardson can shift back and forth from the two and three opening up vast possibilities for Miami’s roster.
The same can be said for Jones, who has a unique skill set to that of Kevin Durant if he ever reaches his maximum abilities.
The other surprise and favorite that Miami quietly snatched in the draft was Adebayo.
He had a productive season for a rookie and became an immediate contributor filling in the gap filled by injuries.
He provides great energy and versatility on both ends that meshes well with this young core and their focus. If they all stay intact past this season, the future looks bright and exciting for the Miami Heat.