Miami Heat: 5 biggest NBA Draft mistakes under Pat Riley

5. 2015 NBA Draft — Justise Winslow over Devin Booker and Myles Turner

I know, I know.

“You can’t judge players after only two seasons!”

And I totally agree. Plus, it’s not like Justise Winslow has been that bad either. Yes, his effective field goal percentage through two years is a paltry 42.9 percent. No, he did not show much improvement between his freshman and sophomore seasons. (In fact, statistically at least, he regressed.)

But he played 2016-17 through an assortment of injuries, including a wrist sprain and a shoulder ailment that eventually forced Miami to shut him down after merely 18 games. And he did show very promising signs of being a versatile 3/4 hybrid as a rookie, contributing to a 48-win team that was one game away from making the Eastern Conference Finals.

Even so, it’s hard not to fantasize about what could have been had Riley and co. gone with Devin Booker (No. 13 pick) or Myles Turner (No. 11 pick) instead. Through two years, Booker is averaging 18.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 threes per game. The current Phoenix Suns 2-guard also had a pretty historic performance late last season.

Meanwhile, that other guy hasn’t exactly been a slouch either. Turner is a rarity in that he’s an athletic big who protects the paint and also spaces the floor offensively. In his second year, the former Texas Longhorn averaged 14.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while hitting 34.8 percent of his threes.

Had Miami taken Booker in 2015, they would have had their eventual Dwyane Wade replacement at shooting guard. Or, if they had drafted Turner, they wouldn’t have needed to give Hassan Whiteside a max contract last summer to remain in South Florida.

Instead, two years later, they’re still waiting for Winslow to develop.