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The Good, Bad and Miami Heat Culture: Winslow’s breakout season

Lauren Gewirtz|
Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow (20) drives the ball down the court against Toronto Raptors during the second quarter on Sunday, March 10, 2019 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami, Fla. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images)
Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow (20) drives the ball down the court against Toronto Raptors during the second quarter on Sunday, March 10, 2019 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami, Fla. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images)
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PORTLAND, OR – FEBRUARY 5: Justise Winslow #20 and Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat look on against the Portland Trail Blazers on FEBRUARY 5, 2019 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – FEBRUARY 5: Justise Winslow #20 and Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat look on against the Portland Trail Blazers on FEBRUARY 5, 2019 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Culture

This week, I am breaking up the Heat Culture into two parts.

No. 1: Wade passing the torch to Winslow

Can we all take a moment to appreciate this?

What makes this better is knowing how much of a mentor Wade has been to Winslow throughout his career. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald recently wrote about their relationship and how much it has meant to Winslow, speaking about how he and Wade are alike:

"“I think for him just to have someone that he sees with the same type of passion and heart and intensity that I play with, that he played with at a young age, as well,” Winslow said. “I think he sees a little bit of that in myself, so for me it’s just about trying to pick up everything on the court, off the court. How he carries himself and different reads in the pick and rolls. It’s been a great thing for me.”"

Even with Wade’s career ending, it is pretty clear that he will continue to be a mentor for Winslow and other young players on this team after he retires.

No. 2: Playoff chances of Wade vs. LeBron James

In the bad, I mentioned the chances of the Heat making the playoffs. While these odds still are not great, they have certainly improved over the last two weeks and continue to rise as they distance themselves from the No. 9 Orlando Magic.

Speaking about odds, the Lakers have written themselves out of the playoffs with less than a 1 percent chance of making them, according to FiveThirtyEight.

So, Wade could make the playoffs in his #OneLastDance season while James sits for the summer? It sure feels like we are living in an alternate universe. In fact, the only seasons James missed the playoffs while Wade made them was 2003-2004 and 2004-2005.

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