Miami Heat: Winslow’s development should be top off-season priority

With the Miami Heat’s salary cap situation and likely late draft position, Justise Winslow’s development should be the biggest priority this offseason.

Last season had its fair share of disappointment as things didn’t start off the way the Miami Heat wished it would have. Midseason approached and Heat Nation was divided. Should they push for the playoffs or should their focus be more geared towards the lottery?

Instead, the Heat finished in no man’s land. They just missed the playoffs, while finishing with a  well enough record that the chances of landing a lottery pick are slim.

The middle of the season split the fan base even more, because of the Jimmy Butler trade that never happened. Seen as an untouchable to the Miami Heat, Josh Richardson seemed to be the missing piece when it came to acquiring Butler. The Miami Heat were unwilling to give up the guard, who appears to be in the driver’s seat of the franchise’s future.

No one who watched the Heat’s season will tell you that Richardson didn’t take a step forward nor maintain his value, but it seems that his potential is still yet to be seen. He’s an All-Star caliber player that we’re waiting to see get to that point.

As we wait, a player who has jumped into the same talks is Justise Winslow. He is another player with seemingly untapped potential. Yet, many grew tired of waiting and practically wrote him off.

If any player is more valuable to the roster of the Miami Heat than he would be as apart of a trade package, it’s Winslow. Now that the Heat have seen what he can do and what works well with his game, his development should be the top priority during the offseason.

His defensive presence and potential has always been there and continues to grow as he matures. This past season he took it a step further, where he became possibly the most versatile defender on the team.

Even more impressive was the offensive ability that we thought we would never see accompany that level of defense. Winslow has even found his shot, while also figuring out how to use his size and speed when facing the basket.

While Goran Dragic was dealing with injuries, “point Winslow” came about. His game elevated from that point on.

To put it lightly, forget being a menace, Winslow has what it takes to become dominant. While looking at his stature and athletic ability, he’s potentially a smaller and not as developed version of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Is he anywhere near that point right now? Of course not.

Yet, with the steps he took during this past season on the defensive end and in finding his offensive rhyme, the importance of working on his development can’t go unattended. The Heat have an opportunity to make the most of what they have, which potentially could be a gem.