Miami Heat

Heat get an 'A' for 2015 NBA draft thanks to Justise Winslow

Published Jun. 29, 2015 1:20 p.m. ET

foxsports

While this coming week will be a bit chaotic for the Miami Heat with the free agency periods of Goran Dragic and (probably) Dwyane Wade officially starting, last week went pretty, pretty well for the Heat thanks to the 2015 NBA draft.

Few draft observers could have foreseen Justise Winslow dropping to Miami at No. 10, but when it happened, the steal of the draft was an easy call. Winslow is a perfect fit with the Heat; he might need some time to learn the intricacies of NBA defense, but in a few years, he'll be an extremely important cog in Miami's quest to add another ring to Pat Riley's collection.

And the basketball-watching world seems to agree. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report gave the Heat an "A-" for their overall draft. Wasserman writes that Winslow is a force in the open court and on defense, but "Winslow will need to improve his off-the-dribble game and one-on-one skills. The Heat won't be able to rely on him for immediate offense."

ESPN NBA insider Chad Ford went a step further than Wasserman, giving the Heat an "A+" for the draft. Ford was effusive in his praise for Winslow and his fit in Miami: "Winslow landing at No. 10 reminds me a lot of when Kawhi Leonard fell to the Spurs at No. 15 in 2011. Some things are meant to be for both player and team. Winslow is a perfect fit, as a player and a person, into the culture Pat Riley has built in Miami."

There might not have been a better pick for the Heat in the draft than Winslow; for him to fall to Miami was a dream come true. And it looks like he's enjoying his first day on the job, too.

(h/t Bleacher Report, ESPN.com)

Photo Credit: Kathy Willens/AP