Justise Winslow to Heat: Twitter Reacts as SF Is Selected in 2015 NBA Draft
Justise Winslow helped Duke to a national championship this past season, and his stellar play in the NCAA tournament gave him the means to leave school for the 2015 NBA draft after just one year.
Although he fell further in the first round than expected, the Miami Heat justified Winslow's decision to be a one-and-done, selecting the dynamic forward with the 10th overall pick Thursday.
Winslow is excited to join the Heat, per the team, "It feels great. To go to an organization like the Heat is a blessing. I'm very excited. I'm just ready to get down there (to Miami) and gel with the guys. I have a bright future."
The Twitterverse was aflame with hot takes about what Winslow's future holds now that his NBA squad has been officially determined.
Many were shocked to see the former Blue Devils standout fall beyond the first nine picks in the draft, including Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post:
Chris Vernon of 92.9 FM ESPN believes Miami's selection of Winslow could go down as one of the biggest steals in recent memory provided he lives up to his potential:
According to NBA on ESPN, analyst Jalen Rose felt as though nabbing Winslow at No. 10 was the hallmark of a winning franchise:
Heat fans certainly liked the pick as the team showcased:
Winslow will join a talented team in Miami, including Chris Bosh and potential guard Goran Dragic if he re-signs. Above all else, though, the former Duke star is excited to play alongside guard Dwyane Wade, per ESPN:
Bosh and former Heat player Shane Battier are excited to see Winslow headed to Miami:
"Absolutely love the pick @IAmJustise, worker and a competitor and a Champion most importantly.
— Shane Battier (@ShaneBattier) June 26, 2015"
ESPN's Skip Bayless even feels as though the Heat have a strong enough group of players to make noise in the Eastern Conference next season:
One person who may not be particularly happy with the Winslow pick, though, is Heat forward Luol Deng, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com:
Winslow has excellent versatility as a defender, capable of guarding any position on the perimeter and functioning well as a power forward in smaller lineups. The 4 is where the Blue Devils deployed Winslow in their smaller starting five, but Winslow figures to be on the wing in the next phase of his career.
One scout believes Winslow might be best suited as a 2-guard moving forward.
"He measured a little small at the combine," said the scout, per Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears. "But it just confirmed that he has to be a shooting guard in the NBA. He's a tough kid with an improving jumper. He needs to improve his ball-handling skills some more.
While it remains to be seen how Winslow will translate to the next level, RealGM provided some comparisons:
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Winslow was a dominant perimeter defender during his one season at Duke:
What was perhaps most surprising about Winslow's short stint with the Blue Devils was the progress of his perimeter game—he shot 41.8 percent from beyond the arc on 110 attempts. Paired with tremendous athleticism and a knack for slashing to the rim, Winslow has a formidable offensive arsenal.
Despite that, Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com believes Winslow can still stand to improve that area of his game:
The Heat will likely be welcoming an instant starter in Winslow to the fold—and at tremendous draft value to boot. Even as he adjusts to the NBA, he has the raw skills to make impact plays at both ends of the floor.
Considering how relatively safe of a pick Winslow figured to be based on his skill set, his slide down the draft board was certainly the surprise in the draft lottery. The draft night fall figures to spur Winslow on as he gears up for a jump to the NBA.
