Miami Heat: Are injuries derailing Justise Winslow’s potential?
By Ivan Mora
Are injuries derailing Justise Winslow’s career to the point of no return with the Miami Heat?
Justise Winslow made his comeback this past Sunday in Miami Heat‘s dominant performance over the Milwaukee Bucks. He finished the game with three points, six rebounds, and four assists.
That was followed by an MLK afternoon shootout loss to the Chicago Bulls. In retrospect, Miami’s back-to-back fatigue wore them down. Winslow finished that game with four points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Miami is 1-1 with Winslow back in the lineup. Of course it goes without saying, that loss isn’t and shouldn’t be on Justise since he is on a minutes restriction and just getting back into the groove.
The question at hand here is how much of an impact is he going to make coming back, or is he slowly becoming an injury-prone player delicate to durability at his position?
Even before his injury, Winslow had been struggling to find his role within the team. His latest injury derailed his progress and honestly it’s not something you wish on anyone. When you see a situation like that unfold before your eyes, you can’t help but feel sympathetic to his back-and-forth ride to a full comeback. It’s tough to see such a great talent get bit by injury woes.
When he entered the league, the immediate comparisons to Kawhi Leonard at first glance were something of a possibility. Nowadays, some NBA executives refer to him as Jahlil Okafor 2.0 when Winslow’s name comes up in trade discussions.
"“[Josh] Richardson jumped Winslow as Miami’s small forward of the future, and James Johnson leapt him as their go-to small-ball power forward —- Winslow’s best role. Lineups with all three of Winslow, James Johnson, and [Hassan] Whiteside might be fatally short on shooting. Multiple rival executives labeled Winslow as Miami’s version of Jahlil Okafor. “"
Some think that may be a stretch, but it does not stray away from the issue that the former Duke standout has seen better days. Ever since being drafted 10th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, his production has been stagnant for two reasons: his injuries concerns and the inability to find a consistent role with Miami.
Last year, he was limited to just 18 games after a labrum tear in his right shoulder. This year, a strain in his left knee is the culprit for his absence. Two injuries in three short years have many questioning his durability and his future with the team. He is really a major question mark at this point, especially due to the recent success in his position since his absence.
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In reality, no one has really seen Winslow’s true potential. He has yet to really fully develop his game for the type of talent he carries, but has made enormous strides, especially with his improved dexterity in ball-handling and intense quickness to defend in transition. The question is when will we see this progress for a full season?
Since stepping into the AmericanAirlines Arena back in 2015, his statistical advantage, what he once had, has now been a roller coaster with no density.
He broke out on the scene as Dwyane Wade’s potential future ally, averaging a shy 6.4 points combined with 5.2 rebounds per game. That year they advanced to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, with Winslow earning himself starter position, even at times going small and playing the 5-spot, but the Heat eventually lost in 7 games to the Toronto Raptors after some hard-fought heroics by Wade.
The following year, Winslow made significant improvements, rising to 10.9 points per game while maintaining that same rebounding mark before going down with injury. This year he is back to 6.6 points per game, barely shooting 40 percent from the field. Again his shooting hasn’t always been his strong point, but the issue with injuries has yet again delayed his potential breakout year.
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He is back now, hopefully for the long run, but the question still remains what type of player he can be. Justise Winslow has the talent, but now his impact will rely solely on his durability and if he can maintain it.