Strengths
At 6’6″, 222 pounds, Justise Winslow has great size and strength for the small forward spot. He averaged 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in his only collegiate season and is coming off a national championship with the Duke Blue Devils. He’s already got an NBA body but just as importantly, he’s got an NBA mind.
Go back and watch Duke’s run to the championship and you’ll see how composed Winslow was the entire time until he actively celebrated a big play. He has the capability to lead by example and fire up the fans. Whether it was cleaning up offensive rebounds and putting the ball back in the hole or making key defensive plays, Winslow’s two-way versatility was almost always on display.
Because of the energy, strength and speed with which Winslow plays, he has the potential to become an absurdly good defender, which will be his calling card in the NBA. He’s a great rebounder for his position and is able to quickly react to his man’s movements with his on-the-ball defense, not to mention the fact that he may be strong and quick enough to defend three positions.
On the offensive end, Winslow seems like a perfect hypothetical fit for the Houston Rockets given that he has absolutely no midrange shot. But he makes smaller, weaker opponents pay for it inside, bullying defenders around the basket for easy baskets and offensive rebounds. And, you know, terrifyingly athletic stuff like this:
Winslow shot 48.6 percent from the floor with the Blue Devils and converted 41.8 percent of his 2.8 three-point attempts per game. He might be able to play that coveted stretch-4 position in some small-ball lineups because of his defensive versatility and his ability to knock down set shots.
Winslow isn’t perfect by any means, which is why he might not be taken in the top five. But if he were taken by the Knicks at No. 4 or the Magic at No. 5, not many people would have much reason to question it. This 19-year-old has star potential and at the very least, will projects as a very good two-way player.
Could Justise Winslow really be more Andre Iguodala than anything?
— Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) June 3, 2015
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