Justise Winslow hasn’t played since November 14, and it doesn’t sound like he will be returning to the Miami Heat anytime soon.
As head coach Erik Spoelstra said, per Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald:
Spo said Justise Winslow still has not gone through a full contact practice. So, until he does that, he's really not close #Heat
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) December 12, 2016
But wait, it gets worse, or at least more ominous-sounding:
Spo says Winslow was dealing with a sprained wrist initially and he's improved. Winslow may have to use a brace off court rest of season
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) December 12, 2016
Will it require surgery? "I think right now all of our hopes are he won't need it. That's why we went through extensive treatment and rest."
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) December 12, 2016
Surgery, quite obviously, would not be ideal. The Heat are already 7-17 and won’t be getting any better without Winslow. Their defense, which had originally hovered around the top seven in points scored per 100 possessions, now ranks 14th, and the offense places in the bottom six of efficiency.
Granted, this is also enough reason for the Heat to play it slow with Winslow. He is only 20 years old. They view him as a featured building block. And they won’t be competing for anything of consequence this season.
If he’s going to have surgery, it might as well be now, because the Heat are likely angling for a quick turnaround through free agency in time for next season. Winslow would lose valuable experience, but he isn’t playing anyway, and it’s more important that he’s healthy when the Heat are in games that matter.
