National Basketball Association

Justise Winslow believes he can be a super star

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With Dwyane Wade gone, the Miami Heat need Justise Winslow to make the leap.

Justise Winslow tried to make the most out of his time around Team USA, studying the super stars who ended up taking Gold at the Olympics this summer.

Via Manny Navarro, of the Miami Herald:

“I had a chance to be around a lot of guys that are superstars now with USA. Being able to pick their brain — guys like Kyrie [Irving], DeAndre [Jordan], Jimmy Butler, Carmelo [Anthony], who have all taken different paths [to greatness] — was probably the thing I learned the most from this summer. They’ve kind of all been talking to me about what to expect and how to handle things [in the future].”

“I’m just trying to understand my position, kind of my place. I want to go out there and keep making that jump until I become the superstar I feel I’m capable of becoming.”

Winslow was taken with the No. 10 pick last year, but was projected to go as high as No. 4. His slide on draft night wasn’t expected, and neither–to a degree–was how good defensively he would be as a rookie.

Winslow routinely guarded opposing super stars like LeBron James, James Harden and Paul George last season, and did a bang up job.

On offense, though, is where he struggled. He’s been working with a shooting coach to fix his mechanics and is striving for a more consistent stroke.

Heat fans certainly believe Winslow is capable of becoming a super star, and head coach Erik Spoelstra raved about Winslow’s approach to the game and ability to make “winning plays” throughout his rookie season.

With Dwyane Wade’s departure, the opportunity is there for Winslow to become the new face of the franchise. If Winslow can make that leap sooner rather than later, the Heat could surpass recent expectations of finishing below .500 and near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.