The Miami Heat have trotted out a backcourt of Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters for the last month. Is it the right move for long-term success?
Everything was clicking for the Miami Heat in their 108-74 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday in their fourth and final meeting of the season.
In what should have been a back-and-forth contest between two teams clawing for the bottom-half of the Eastern Conference Playoff race, the Heat entered the game with a boot applied directly to the Pistons’ necks.
Everything was clicking for Miami. The team posted its biggest run of the season, 21-0, to start the second half. That stat becomes especially thrilling taken in conjunction with Miami’s standing as the 21st-ranked team in third quarter scoring. For the record, the Heat were as low as 27th in third quarter points just last month.
But amidst the seven players scoring in double-digits and a reinvigorated Miami starting five (featuring Bam Adebayo), there was another Heat headline in the making: The growth of a Dion Waiters–Justise Winslow back court.
No matter how you slice it, Winslow has been invaluable to the Heat. Fully ensconced in his role as a 6’7″ point guard, the former Duke Blue Devil is a staple in seven of Miami’s 10 best scoring five-man groups. Pair him with Adebayo and South Beach gets reincarnated as Lob City. Or, slot him next to Josh Richardson and watch as teams have to guess where each Heat possession will end.
But as head coach Erik Spoelstra has slowly reincorporated Waiters back into the lineup, he’s had to explore relatively uncharted territory.
Prior to this new rotational adjustment, the last time Waiters and Winslow started a game together was December 3, 2017. At the time, Winslow was an awkwardly placed wing. He wasn’t confident enough to spot up for 3s, nor was he an offensive threat attacking the rim. Winslow filled space as the Heat ran the offense through a then-healthy Goran Dragic.
In the 24 games they shared the floor in the 2017-18 season, Winslow and Waiters had a minus-15.8 net rating, which was among Winslow’ worst pairings. He was relegated to no man’s land—usually lurking in the corner—as he watched Waiters try and work his magic.
This season, however, is different. Waiters and Winslow are effectively role reversed. Having Winslow carry the brunt of the ball handling duties, even with Dragic returning to the lineup, forces Waiters and Winslow to be more creative in their positions.
Winslow’s improved shot—he’s shooting 38 percent from 3 on nearly four attempts per game, twice as many as last season—means Waiters can play his game and create corner 3 opportunities.
Conversely, Waiters has adapted to deference. He’s improved at following through with plays even after the ball leaves his hands.
"“You pretty much just figure it out,” Waiters said to the Miami Herald of playing with Winslow. “He’s aggressive. He’s still learning how to play the position a little bit. But he’ll be fine. He does a great job of pushing the ball, tempo and things like that. It’s all about playing off him, just figure out his tendencies and mine, J-Rich and things like that and getting acclimated with each other.”"
Since the tandem began in February, the Miami Heat have opened games scoring an average of 29 points per first quarter. His union with Waiters has shot up in productivity, posting a 5.3 net rating in 26 games played.
If Wednesday night was any inclination, Winslow and Waiters have given Miami hope in a season that should have sank into irrelevance. A playoff upset might not be in the cards, but Spoelstra can hopefully check “finding a back court combination” off his lengthy to-do list.