contract wrote:That was good. So was turning the ball over to JJ with the 2nd unit. But do you doubt for one second that absent injury, Winslow starts and plays 30+ minutes in all 82 games?
The offense and defense both improved in the 2nd half of the season without Winslow...
Absent injury, Justise would have been more productive and your question regarding Spo's management of his playing time would be moot.
Justise played the majority of his 18 games with some combination of shoulder and wrist injuries. That can't be glossed over. His play suffered dramatically as a result; his defense in particular.
Dion missed 20 games between Nov 28 and Jan 3 with a groin injury. That significantly impacted the team's play during the first half of the season.
It's no surprise the team was infinitely better once Dion returned fully healthy after Spo put the ball in his and Goran's hands. Spo adjusted, turned them into one of the most lethal drive-and-kick offenses in the league and the team took off heading into All-Star break.
Lastly, pointing to Justise as the main reason behind the team's struggles during the first half of the season simply isn't factual.
First 41 games played:
• HEAT was 4-14 with Justise (10 games under .500)
• HEAT was 7-16 without Justise (9 games under .500)