Final Take
Every team in the league would be fortunate to have a guy like Justise Winslow on their team. He really had to work hard to get his name this high in the Draft discussion.
It is so rare to find freshman with his amount of talent that are wholly committed to the defensive end of the floor and willing to cut their teeth at that end. Winslow will make a solid defender if he keeps that work ethic up. There seems no doubt about it.
Where there are doubts is with his offense and whether he can carry over the slashing style he quickly perfected at Duke over to the NBA. Typically height and size are not things to be too worried about. But if you want to play him at the small forward position, he needs to add some bulk and really prove he can hold his own.
Jimmy Butler had similar questions on both ends and has flourished. Why couldn’t Winslow?
There seems no reason to believe Winslow will not find a way to be successful. He has all the skills and the determination to do so. All the weaknesses you find in his game are warranted, but not overly concerning. He can find a way to fit in.
Winslow has shown he has the defensive potential and several offensive skills that can translate to the next level. Get him in the open court and he should be able to finish. Give him an open jumper and he should be able to make it. Give him a defensive challenge, and (with time) he should be able to be a tough guy to score against.
This is exact kind of thing you want with a high draft pick.