2019 NBA Mock Draft: The dust clears from the NBA trade deadline
player. 110. . F. Virginia. De'Andre Hunter. 8
Do you believe Erik Spoelstra? The Heat coach has turned Justise Winslow — the 2015 No. 10 pick — into his nominal point guard to fill in for the injured Goran Dragic and make up for Miami’s lack of depth in the backcourt. If Winslow truly is the Heat’s point guard of the future and the guy they want to build around on a reasonable contract the next four seasons, their calculus in the draft changes.
In weeks past, we had pegged Miami with a point guard, glancing down the team’s depth chart and matching them with a player to fill depth at a position of need. However, Winslow’s versatility and progress this year change that. A player like Hunter could certainly make more sense with Winslow at the point.
“They’re still letting me shoot versus letting me get to the hole,” Winslow recently said. “They’re still going under. They’re still not pressuring me. They’re still letting me shoot it.”
This is in part because Miami lacks the talent to balance the defense. They are just 17th in the NBA in 3-point shooting efficiency and lack the consistency in the rotation due to injuries and trades to build chemistry with Winslow running the show. That leaves Winslow having to adjust every night to what’s changed around him.
Drafting Hunter would supplement the versatility Miami has built on the wing and help to replace the likes of Kelly Olynyk and James Johnson moving forward. He is an upgrade defensively over those veterans and will be able to capably fill the role of floor-spacer and finisher for Miami in the future.
Hunter overextended himself a little early Saturday against Duke but overcame a few bad shots to finish with 11 points. He’s not flashy but he’s efficient and consistent.