Miami Heat: What led Justise Winslow to the promise land?

Wayne’s World

Winslow’s increased workload isn’t solely attributed to his new role.

Despite entering the 2018-19 season with 14 familiar faces on the roster, head coach Erik Spoelstra has embraced a new stream of substitutions this season. His new look includes a return to starting the defensive scavenger and offensive wildcard Rodney McGruder.

McGruder’s insertion into the lineup is a return to 2016-17 for Miami. That season, McGruder started 65 games for the Heat, including being a major part of the nationally recognized 30-11 run through the second half of the year.

Deploying McGruder in the starting lineup next to Winslow has immensely improved the former Duke Blue Devil’s outlook, by diverting the offense away from a catch-and-shoot drill that runs counter to Winslow’s capabilities.

When McGruder was out last year, Winslow’s most played lineup usually came off the bench, and usually featured Wayne Ellington and Kelly Olynyk. The Ellington-Olynyk tandem was among Miami’s most successful shooting pairs, combining to shoot 342-for-874 in 2017-18.

Playing to their strengths meant more than a handful of Miami possessions went towards getting Ellington and Olynyk open looks from 3. When it worked, like when Ellington shot 8-for-12 from 3 in Miami’s win over Toronto Raptors last April, the Heat were a functional, playoff level team.

But when it didn’t work Winslow was left unable to leave his mark on the game, even when he picked up point guard duties.

Now, playing with a free form lineup of Josh Richardson, McGruder, Johnson and Whiteside, Winslow doesn’t have the same obligation to find shooters.

Those shots are still there—McGruder has emerged as one of Miami’s most consistent 3-point specialist this season, currently converting them at a 39.5 percent clip.

But having versatile offensive options like the point forward Johnson or the mid-range guru Richardson is allowing Winslow to focus more on his strengths than having to prioritize the long ball.

There is no denying that some of Miami’s once integral players might be falling by the way side. But with his confidence, and his influence soaring, Winslow is reshaping Miami’s offense for the better.