Justise Winslow wasn’t quite a sniper last season from deep, but he was above average. Should Miami Heat fans expect him to maintain that level from three?
Justise Winslow is headed into what could be a huge season for him as a member of the Miami Heat. This is from a production perspective, from an opportunity perspective, and from a position defining perspective.
Production-wise, he should have ample opportunity to continue to contribute on the offensive end, hopefully expanding upon his 12.6 points per game average from last season. From an opportunity perspective, he is one of the best most experienced players on this Miami Heat team, based on meaningful minutes played in the Miami Heat system.
From a position defining perspective, it all piggybacks off of what Winslow was able to accomplish last year. While the Miami Heat were without their primary option at point guard in Goran Dragic for a good part of last season, Winslow filled in admirably as the lead guard and main ball handler.
While he could have been much better in pick and roll sequences and scenarios, he still experienced a great deal of success from the position. Something else specifically that Winslow excelled at during last season was his shot from deep. While his percentage dropped very slightly from the previous season, going from 38 percent to 37.5 from the arc, he only dropped slightly while nearly doubling his attempts.
Should we expect Winslow to maintain or even increase his production from three as he continues to evolve into the best version of himself? We absolutely should.
As mentioned, last season saw Winslow convert nearly 40 percent of four attempts per game, while the previous season saw him convert nearly 40 of two attempts. Obviously, this shows apparent growth. This growth is only emphasized by the fact that last season and the season before saw him shoot a percentage that was at least 10 percent higher than either of his first two seasons, with both the last two seasons being practically 18 percent higher than his sophomore season.
Winslow will have a lot of opportunities on the offensive end and with another year of confidence under his belt, he should continue to produce at a high level. With better players around him as well, even if only Jimmy Butler for certain as of right now, that should free up just that much more space for him to convert these opportunities. That is why he should be expected to at least maintain that level of production from deep, if not surpass it.