Winslow will help the playoff push
Justise Winslow said the Grizzlies knew his return Saturday was coming for about a week. It didn't change his excitement looking forward to finally playing after 408 days.
He wasn't sharp in the Grizzlies' 128-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns and didn't make his first shot until the second half. But that was secondary to a debut that was a long time coming after battling both a back injury and left hip displacement since being acquired in a three-way trade from the Miami Heat.
"I was looking forward to this day for a long time," said Winslow, who finished with nine points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. "I was excited, lot of nerves, to be honest. Just being out there competing with a lot of fun."
Winslow took on the challenge guarding Suns' All-star guard Devin Booker. He was aggressive looking for his shot despite shooting just 3for-14, missing his first nine attempts.
He also showed off his ballhandling with the Grizzlies' reserves. He had a couple of pocket passes on drives to the rim that were bobbled but were good reads.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said he envisioned using Winslow as a playmaker with the ball, but it's still a work in progress how he'll be used.
"Initially he's going to be coming off the bench and I think having the ball in his hands is going to lead to more good things," Jenkins said.
It was harder to fully evaluate Winslow with four rotation players out. But with six games remaining before the All-star break, it's enough time for him to get comfortable before the Grizzlies' playoff push kicks
up in the second half of the season.
Winslow could become a more dynamic floor general with the second unit to balance out Tyus Jones' steady play, although Jones has struggled the past few games.
He also could spell Dillon Brooks by helping guarding the best perimeter scorers
More importantly, he could open the floor for Ja Morant.
The two only shared the court for 10:27 of game time, but they took turns handling the ball with Morant looking to feed Winslow on the perimeter.
With teams keying on Morant to get the ball out of his hands, Winslow can draw more defenders to help Morant have more 1-on-1 opportunities. That can also open up other shoots, such as Grayson Allen, Desmond Bane or Kyle Anderson.
Per Cleaning the Glass, a basketball analytics site, Winslow assisted on 21.1% of his teammates' field goals in 2018-19 with the Heat, his last healthy season.
It placed him in the 96th percentile at his position.
"He's very fast, really athletic, can handle that rock," said rookie Xavier Tillman Sr. "When you swing it to him, he's already at a mismatch. He's blowing by you or causing somebody to rotate and if you don't rotate, it's a layup every time."
If he can stay healthy — a big if given his injury history — he helps solidify the Grizzlies as a playoff contender with their second half schedule getting tougher.
A healthy Jaren Jackson Jr. will also help; he's expected to be cleared to play soon. For now, Winslow was glad to return and build on a debut 13 months and 13 days in the making.
"It's been a hell of a journey," Winslow said. "Tonight was just a glimpse of the iceberg, just getting my feet wet. But it was a good experience for me. Obviously a lot to learn from."