NBA: 10 players facing make or break seasons in 2017-18

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CHARLOTTE, NC – APRIL 23: Justise Winslow #20 of the Miami Heat shoots over Spencer Hawes #00 of the Charlotte Hornets during game three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Time Warner Cable Arena on April 23, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Justise Winslow, SF, Miami Heat

Justise Winslow is one of the most intriguing players in the NBA this season. He has some of the tools of a prototypical stud wing in the NBA. There are also some holes in his game we are not sure he can round out. Last year in his second season, his development was hurt by injury. Winslow only played in 18 games. In those 18 games though, he showed improvement from his rookie season.

His scoring humped from six points per game to 10 points per game. More importantly, his assists jumped from 1.5 per game to 3.7 per game. He also showed incredible defense, something that is hard to do as a young player.

The down side is he only shot 35 percent from the field, 20 percent from 3-point range and 61 percent from the line. Woof. So while his scoring went up, his offensive efficiency went down. That is why he posted a ghastly 39 percent true shooting percentage and a 8.2 PER. Winslow does enough things well to get solid minutes. He averaged 34 minutes a game last season. His defense, rebounding and passing are all solid. It’s his shooting that must improve drastically though for him to be a solid two-way wing. Improving at the line is the first step. If he can get to 75 percent at the stripe and at least 30 percent from 3, the Heat have something.

Winslow should start this season at small forward for the Heat, so he will get an opportunity to show if he has improved. If his shooting and his offense gets to respectable levels, the Heat have a two-way wing for years to come. If not expect him to be involved in more trade rumors. Winslow most also show that his injury last season was a fluke and not a sign of things to come.

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