Mailbag: Winslow, Richardson making the Heat’s 2015 draft look good. But how good?
The weekly Miami Herald Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions.
If you weren’t able to ask a question this time, send your questions for future mailbags via Twitter (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email me at achiang@miamiherald.com.
Anil: Based on how J-Rich and Justise Winslow are playing this season, can we now look back and say the 2015 draft was one of the best in Heat history?
Anthony Chiang: If you’re judging this on all-around value, yes. Adding two reliable NBA players in one draft who have turned into building blocks for the organization is not as common as one would think. Throw in the fact the Heat did it with just one first-round pick, and it makes it that much more impressive because it took hitting on the 40th overall pick in the second round to pull this off.
That year, the Heat drafted Justise Winslow with the 10th overall selection and Josh Richardson with the 40th overall selection.
Winslow is blossoming this year in a point guard role and is in the middle of the best stretch of his career. He’s averaged 14.9 points on 49.6 percent shooting from the field and 45.1 percent shooting from three-point range, to go with five rebounds and 4.1 assists in his past 10 games. The Heat has outscored teams by 59 points with Winslow playing during that stretch.
And Richardson is in the middle of the best season of his career. He’s averaging career highs in points (18.5), rebounds (4) and assists (3.7), and is known around the league as an up-and-coming two-way player because of his ability to defend.
Of course, the Heat has landed better players in drafts. 2003 will forever be remembered for taking Dwyane Wade with the fifth overall pick. Miami ended up with Rony Seikaly and Grant Long in the 1988 draft. The Heat also had a successful 1989 draft after selecting Glen Rice with the fourth overall pick, and made the right choice when it took Steve Smith with the fifth overall selection in 1991.
But 2015 definitely makes the list of best drafts in Heat history. Looking at that draft class, Karl Anthony-Towns, Kristaps Porzingis and Devin Booker are really the only three players who most would consider locks to be taken over Winslow and Richardson if redrafting that year. Myles Turner, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Willie Cauley-Stein, D’Angelo Russell could also be considered, but Winslow and Richardson would definitely both be top-10 picks if redrafting the 2015 class.
@keepthemeyeopen: Why do you think Bam isn’t incorporated more in the offense when he’s capable of making mid range jumpers and post ups? Is it just him being passive or is the coaching staff not encouraging him?
Anthony: I know this, the Heat’s coaching staff is encouraging Bam Adebayo to be more aggressive offensively. But that doesn’t necessarily mean more shot attempts. It means crashing the offensive glass, it means creating space for others by taking defenders off the dribble.
The Heat wants Adebayo to make defenses guard him, and the coaching staff feels like he’s done that better in his second NBA season. Even if Adebayo’s shot attempt numbers are only up slightly, from 4.9 to 5.2 shots per game.
This story was originally published December 27, 2018 at 11:22 AM.
