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NBA Draft: Who is Justise Winslow

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Mar 27, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow (12) shoots against the Utah Utes during the second half in the semifinals of the south regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow (12) shoots against the Utah Utes during the second half in the semifinals of the south regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Bad

For as much as Winslow did a lot of good things spacing the floor and attacking off the dribble for Duke, he has his detractors on both ends of the floor.

The biggest concern is his shooting, believe it or not.

Winslow shot 41.8 percent from beyond the arc, but took only 110 3-point attempts, about 2.8 per game. He is able to hit the three, but it is not the main part of his game. He is going to use the 3-pointer to create space to drive the lane and attack the basket. That is what he ultimately wants to do.

Push the 3-point line a little farther back and the questions begin to arise.

Winslow shot just 64.1 percent from the foul line. Not a horrible percentage, but not a great one either. It does suggest some issues with his shot. Can he push back to the NBA 3-point line and truly spread the floor? That is a serious question. And Winslow is going to be trying to get to the foul line a lot.

Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow (12) drives to the basket against Wisconsin Badgers forward Duje Dukan (13) and forward Nigel Hayes (10) during the second halfin the 2015 NCAA Men
Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow (12) drives to the basket against Wisconsin Badgers forward Duje Dukan (13) and forward Nigel Hayes (10) during the second halfin the 2015 NCAA Men /

His shooting is going to be something to continue to watch develop.

The Magic also appear to be looking at him as a small forward. His size there is going to be of some concern.

Winslow measured at 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4 without shoes. That part is not necessarily the part that is important when it comes to Winslow. He will be able to play small forward in spurts or defend almost any wing player.

However, there are going to be guys he will not be able to defend, and unlike in college, he is not going to physically overpower every player he faces. I mean, just imagine Winslow having to check Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James. Those might be extreme examples, but they will be part of the group Winslow has to be able to defend on a nightly basis.

Winslow saw a lot of his success in small-ball lineups as the power forward. He was able to match up and use his strength to attack and dominate at that level. It does not seem like he would do that at the NBA level as consistently.

If there is someplace where there can be some criticism with Winslow it is that he may not be a great fit should he be relied on to be a small forward. He would probably fit best as a shooting guard on the team where he can guard people more his size as he gains NBA strength.

This might be picking nits or breaking his game down a bit too far. He is a very good player and a great defender. Even with his work ethic and desire to play defense, there are some legitimate questions about him scaling up to the NBA small forward position at all facets of his game.

Next: Brett's Take