5 things the Miami Heat need from Hassan Whiteside

Never fear: Hassan Whiteside is here.

The Miami Heat have had a rough offseason.

So much so, that many are hoping the team tanks the 2016-17 season.

But there is no need for that.

Because while the organization may have missed out on Kevin Durant and lost Dwyane Wade, they still have plenty of tricks in their bag (take that!). One of which of course, is Hassan Whiteside.

Fortunately, free agency was easy peasy for the man in the middle. Almost as soon as it started, it was over; although there were rumors that the big man would leave South Beach behind for the Dallas Mavericks, fortunately this did not turn out to be the case. Whiteside announced he would re-sign with the Heat on a four-year contract, and that was that. President Pat Riley and company were the ones who really gave him his first chance, and regardless of what else went on with Miami this summer, he could not overlook that.

But re-signing the 27-year-old is only the beginning of the Heat’s good news regarding Whiteside. Just wait until the fall, and the center proves he has not yet reached his ceiling.

Last year, Whiteside averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game on 29.1 minutes of play. Compare that to his first season in Miami, when he was averaging 11.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per a matchup on 23.8 minutes of play, and you can see the trend his talent is moving in.

While Whiteside may technically have four years under his belt in the league, he has only actually played less than two full seasons, a fact many seem to forget when discussing his future development. In fact, he only played a total of 19 games between his first two years in the NBA, the rest of his time having been dedicated to both the Developmental League and playing overseas.

In other words, this is just the beginning of Whiteside’s take over.

Here are five things Blocktopus needs to do next season with the Heat.

Next: 5. Let Bygones Be Bygones