Q: Ira, should we be celebrating a double-double by Justise Winslow when he scores 10 points. He is going to be making $13 million next season. Is that what you pay to a player who can't score? -- Hank.
A: As much as anything, the Winslow contract looks as much a case of asset retention as a building block to the future. Now, whether Justise is viewed as an asset to the rest of the league remains to be seen. With only the first two seasons of Justise's contract guaranteed, the gamble is relatively limited. But I do agree that in today's NBA, you had better, at the least, be viewed as a scoring threat. Even when Justise does score, I'm not sure he is enough of a threat to space the court. We have seen stretches of 3-point success, stretch of working his way to the foul line, stretches of transition scoring. What we haven't seen is consistency. On one hand, he is only 22. On the other, players reach a point where they are what they are. At the moment, it's as if good is being viewed as good enough.
Q: Hopefully they can bounce back on Sunday and get that L. -- Chris.
A: So it's going to be this way for the rest of the year, or will it take a move to .500 or above to make it stop? The depths of awful in the East are such that the Heat still should have ample time to veer toward lottery, if that becomes the desire or need. For now, it is difficult to lose to a team like the Bulls, even if you were trying. Should they find a way to beat the league-leading Raptors, then can I assume the perspective might change? I have done many seasons of "Ask Ira About the Lottery." Kind of hoping we can put that on hold for a bit, at least until the challenging upcoming western swing. The irony is I remember two years ago, amid the 11-30 start when Goran Dragic, Josh Richardson and some others from the Heat went to the Cal-UCLA game to scout/watch Lonzo Ball, T.J. Leaf and Ivan Rabb.
Q: The question is can Richardson be consistent and so far he has not. He is hit and miss. --- Bev.
A: But the only way you can determine consistency is to provide enough of a sample size. Friday was a step forward. What can't happen now is going back to an extended stretch of Dwyane Wade or bust. It is better to find out now if Josh can back up his performance than have to rely on him in games that could be all or nothing later in the season.
iwinderman@sunsentinel.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ira.winderman
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