Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat were lucky enough to snag former Duke Blue Devils star Justise Winslow with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He wasn’t expected to fall as far as he did, but Miami was more than happy to bring him on board when he did. Looking into the future, there is no question that Pat Riley and company have found their heir apparent to aging superstar Dwyane Wade.
Winslow is exactly the type of talent that the Heat needed to help make sure that their future was solidified. Wade has been mentioned in rumors all offseason long about potentially leaving in free agency to sign with either the Los Angeles Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers. Joining LeBron James in Cleveland makes the most sense for Wade, but there is still a chance that the Heat find a way to keep him in town.
Losing Wade would be a crushing blow for the franchise, but they would be alright in the long run. Simply seeing the franchise player that they drafted back in 2003 leave would be depressing, especially if it is to the same team that James left for as well.
During the 2014-15 season with the Blue Devils, Winslow ended up averaging 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He was also an excellent defender on the perimeter and recorded 1.3 steals per game. Those are the type of numbers that made him so impressive ahead of the NBA Draft, but unfortunately there were still concerns about him that caused him to drop.
Miami actually is a much better fit for him than any other team he could have gone to. They have a role he can step into immediately with Luol Deng likely leaving town now and will see a good amount of playing time in his rookie season.
If Wade does end up leaving in free agency, there is a good chance Winslow will step into the starting lineup immediately.
At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Winslow possesses the athleticism to play either shooting guard or small forward. That is the type of player the Heat needed, although many expected them to get that in Stanley Johnson. Instead, they have a much more talented player whose upside is through the roof and has definite superstar potential.
Needless to say, it will be very interesting to see how he develops over the next few seasons. There is absolutely nothing holding him back from becoming something very special, and he showed the type of work ethic that he’ll need to get there during his season with Duke. Being coached by Mike Krzyzewski is something that helps players out long-term, and he will use that extra knowledge to his advantage.
Just when it appeared the Heat were going to lose everything they’ve worked for with Wade, they were lucky enough to draft his replacement. Looking at the big picture, there weren’t many prospects in the 2015 class with more potential for the future than Winslow.
All of that being said, the Heat expect Winslow to be a cornerstone for their franchise for a long time to come. While it is a bit too early to be talking about it, they may have drafted the next face of their franchise. Winslow has a lot of work to make that a reality, but he is ready to embrace that role and prove that teams shouldn’t have passed on him.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
