Amidst career game, Justise Winslow unlocks the key to his offensive game
Justise Winslow showed off his scoring potential and he finished with 23 points in the Miami Heat’s 115-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lost in the midst of a Shaq-sized celebration, a 19-point turnaround, and another Hassan Whiteside double-double was an impressive outing put forth by second-year swingman Justise Winslow.
Scoring a career-high 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting, Winslow found himself in the midst of what seemed like every play at one point. Not only did he score the ball efficiently (something that has eluded him this season), Winslow also pulled down 13 rebounds, collected four steals, and dished out a modest three assists.
Looking beyond the numbers, it seemed as if Winslow had finally found his calling on the offensive end.
A notoriously poor outside shooter, Winslow came into tonight shooting just 35 percent from the field on the season. Clearly bothered by the wrist injury that’s been nagging at him for the past month, he certainly put that behind him this evening.
Taking advantage of the superior ball handling and play making that made him special at Duke, Winslow repeatedly took advantage on undersized defenders, finishing at the rim at will:
Justise Winslow was special tonight.
He scored a career-high 23 points and snagged 13 boards. @MiamiHEAT win 115-107 over the @Lakers. pic.twitter.com/I1ExFF1GWJ
— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2016
While able to knock down occasional wide open spot-up jump shots, Winslow’s offensive ability is not powered by the outside shot and, as he proved tonight, he can be much more effective in the paint, bullying defenders with his size and athletic ability. More often than not, Winslow found himself matched up with the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Lou Williams and sometimes Nick Young, and he took advantage nearly every time.
Winslow just isn’t the eye-candy the modern NBA is looking for. He doesn’t pull up from 30, he doesn’t shoot many shots off the dribble and he’s no Stephen Curry or Kyrie Irving when it pertains to ball handling. However, he has all the makings of a future impact player and possible All-Star in this league.
Yes, without a jumper. Without a three-point shot.
In no way am I suggesting he’ll never develop either of those, but until that time comes, Winslow has to take advantage of the skills that made him a lottery pick, and as the tape has shown, his checks aren’t cut for shooting:
As we've seen, Justise Winslow doesn't make his living off jump shooting, but as he showed tonight, he can be effective in many other areas pic.twitter.com/VtoVMdMvgz
— Cory Sanning (@SanningNBA) December 23, 2016
Not only did Winslow get to the basket at will, he fought and finished through contact and constantly drew the next defender, assisting in Miami’s sudden revival from three-point range (11-of-22 from downtown).
A winner since his days in college, Winslow came into the league already boasting those intangibles. His hardworking demeanor and fearless attitude stood out from day one, and that fearlessness took to new heights last night, on national TV in front of a raucous crowd, with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal in attendance.
And in the midst of that riveting ceremony and the nostalgic feelings that followed, Winslow showed the entire world the skill set he possesses once in the paint, either on the drive or in the post, the spin quickly becoming one of his go-to moves:
.@IAmJustise has really been working on that spin move! pic.twitter.com/Y1T3TxhelG
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 23, 2016
Asked of his performance after the game, Winslow kept it plain and simple, per the Miami Herald.
“Coming in, we knew that they liked to switch a lot,” Winslow said, “We tried to really make them switch. A lot times I had a guard or smaller guy on me. We just took advantage of that.”
In the past, Winslow often found himself matched up with smaller defenders and failed to take advantage of his size mismatch. This game marked a step forward in his development. Winslow is just scratching the surface of his potential.
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