Season Rundown:
How does defending LeBron James, James Harden, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan and Carmelo Anthony within your first 13 games in the NBA sound? Well, that’s exactly what Justise Winslow did, and he fared quite well.
Needless to say, Winslow received meaningful minutes from the get-go despite being a rookie. In fact, he led all rookies with 9.1 fourth quarter minutes played per contest in the regular season. A big reason why Winslow played in crunch time was due to his ability to guard the opposing team’s best offensive player.
As the season progressed however, the 20-year-old showed improvement offensively. He ran the floor well in transition for easy buckets and cut along the baseline in the half court much like Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng.
While he continued to show flashes in the regular season, perhaps Winslow’s most impressive outing came in Game 7 against the Raptors. With Hassan Whiteside out, the HEAT played small with Winslow starting at center.
The young man took his new role in stride and got the job done at both ends of the court. In the first quarter, he had some nice rolls to the hoop where he either finished the play or drew the foul. On the flip side of the ball, he showed his versatility by defending multiple guys as usual. He started off on Bismack Biyombo and Kyle Lowry before he guarded DeMar DeRozan in the third quarter.
It was in that period where Winslow truly shined. With Toronto going on a big run, the 6-foot-7, 225-pound specimen responded to adversity supremely well and hit the deck for loose balls quite often. He also drew his second charge of the contest during the flurry. Those little plays went a long way in Miami chipping away at the deficit. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.
Winslow finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
In all, the former Blue Devil certainly fit the bill in his first season as a member of the HEAT. His continued progress and development should have fans excited for what’s to come in the future.
They Said It (Quote):
“I had a lot of fun and the thing I takeaway the most is I got better as a player, but anything in life is the friendships, the relationships and the memories. Those things I’ll remember for a long time and I’m extremely thankful for [them]. – Winslow on the 2015-16 season
Notable Highlight: