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Justise Winslow – 6’7” SF, Duke University, 19 years old
Offensive Game – Winslow’s offensive game can be best described as the bull in a China shop. He used an explosive first step and a chiseled frame to get to the basket at will in college, and that seems likely to translate well to the pros. He also was successful on 41% of his threes this season, and he will need that type of shooting to continue in order to create space for his driving lanes. Besides the outside shots and the drives to the basket, Winslow’s offensive game is a work in progress. He doesn’t have a ton of ball-handling skills, and if he can’t penetrate all the way to the basket, he lacks an effective pull-up jumper. There is no reason to believe these skills can’t improve going forward, but these are certainly the weaknesses that NBA teams will exploit early in his career.
Defensive Game – It is the defensive side of the ball where Winslow’s true abilities and high draft stock begin to stand out. He has the size and physicality to defend NBA small forwards as well as certain power forwards in the correct matchup. In addition, his tremendous leaping ability often has him stealing rebounds from much larger players. While his offensive game is somewhat a work in progress, Winslow should enter the NBA ready to compete at the defensive end every night.
NBA Potential – If everything pans out correctly for Winslow, he has incredible future ahead of him in the NBA. If and when he develops an effective pull-up jumper to go along with his drives and three point range, then he has the ability to be the first or second best player on a championship contender. If he struggles to adjust to the midrange and off the bounce game in the NBA, he still projects nicely as a “three and D” player in the pros.
NBA Player Comparison – The most common comparison used for Justise Winslow is a more athletic Tony Allen. While that is certainly an accurate possibility, there is one more name to add to the mix – Draymond Green. Both players are 6’7” and possess the outside shot and defensive toughness that coaches love. Justice Winslow is certainly regarded higher than Draymond Green was coming out of college (Green was drafted in the second round), but given Green’s progression these past two seasons I think any team would be happy to add another Draymond Green to their roster.
NBA Readiness – Given that Winslow will certainly be drafted in the top five, it appears likely that he will be joining a rebuilding or struggling franchise. For that reason, it is most likely that he will begin his career as an NBA starter and will continue as such for the majority of his career.
