Due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder, Justise Winslow’s sophomore season has been cut short.
The Miami Heat lost LeBron James in 2014, Chris Bosh in 2015, Dwyane Wade in 2016 and now the most recent setback for the franchise is second-year forward Justise Winslow.
What was originally thought to be nothing more than a “stinger” on the final play of Miami’s game against the Boston Celtics on Friday, turned out to be a torn labrum. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra knew the injury was more serious than it appeared to be.
“It was that last tangle up with Horford,” Spoelstra explained. “I didn’t like the way it looked as I saw it. And then, talking with him on the plane afterwards, I didn’t like the way he was describing it.”
Not only does this injury slow down the development of Winslow, but it also puts Miami in a bind in regards to what direction they should go moving forward. The team may want to shake things up by trading Goran Dragic in order to find a piece that will mesh with Hassan Whiteside.
Winslow, who was drafted in 2015 from Duke has played in only 18 games this season, averaging 10.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals. Winslow was certain the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked.
“I’m not too worried about it,” he said. “I should be fine. We’ll see.”
The Heat have went from a championship contender, to playoff contender, to a lottery team in a matter of 2.5 years. A top pick in this year’s NBA Draft will be the silver lining on this cloudy season in South Beach.
The Curtis Critique 