Heat's Justise Winslow to Be Reevaluated in 2 Weeks After Suffering Back Injury

The Miami Heat announced on Friday that Justise Winslow will miss at least the next two weeks before his back injury is reevaluated.

Winslow returned to play 16 minutes against the Indiana Pacers last week after missing just over a month with a lower back bone bruise, but he has missed each of Miami's past three games since then.

The small forward has appeared in just 11 games this season. The 23-year-old was placed in the league's concussion protocol on Nov. 7, and he has missed additional games since then with the back injury.

In those 11 games, Winslow is averaging 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, making him one of the Heat's most versatile players when healthy.

The Heat selected Winslow 10th overall in the 2015 draft, but he has been nagged by injuries since entering the league. 

The Duke product appeared in just 18 games during the 2016-17 season as he dealt with the combination of a wrist injury and a torn labrum that required season-ending surgery. He was hampered by knee injuries throughout the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns but was able to play in 68 and 66 games, respectively.

Winslow's continued absence will likely mean more minutes for Duncan Robinson, who has already started 35 games in place of Winslow this season. The 25-year-old forward has performed well in a supporting role with 11.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Miami, second in the Eastern Conference, has one of the deepest teams in the NBA with seven players averaging double digits in scoring, so head coach Erik Spoelstra will have no shortage of options to turn to.

The 28-12 Heat play at the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.