Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils
Why the Knicks should be focusing on Justise Winslow
Published
Jun. 3, 2015 2:24 p.m. ET
foxsports
The Knicks will have their choice of guys at pick No. 4. There's a chance Emmanuel Mudiay or D'Angelo Russell won't be available, but that doesn't mean they won't be able to bring in a potential star.
Actually, Scott Rafferty says at the Sporting News the Knicks shouldn't be going after either of those guys even if they are available at No. 4. Instead, the best fit might be Justise Winslow out of Duke.
Here's some of what Rafferty had to say:
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Click here to read the full piece.
Winslow averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on the way to helping his Blue Devils to a national championship during his only year in Durham.
(H/t to Scott Rafferty at the Sporting News.)
Photo Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Despite being 6-6, Winslow spent much of his time at Duke defending power forwards and switching on to smaller guards in the pick-and-roll. His length will be more of an issue when defending bruisers at the next level, but he's a fundamentally sound player who is capable of guarding three positions.
When guarding the ball, Winslow rarely gets beaten to a spot. He has quick feet and uses his solid 222-pound frame to keep defenders at bay. He doesn't pick up tacky fouls by reaching in unnecessarily or lose positioning by biting on shot fakes — all impressive qualities in a young prospect. Instead, he gets low and uses his 6-10 wingspan to effectively contest shots.
Winslow smells blood when matching up with weaker ball handlers, reminiscent of what helped Kawhi Leonard become this season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year. In a matchup against Elon on Dec. 15, for example, Winslow harassed his assignment 80-feet from the basket and picked his pocket twice, turning them both into easy scoring opportunities.
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