Whiteside is posting career-high numbers in multiple categories
Upon first examination of Whiteside’s stats this season, you will see an improved player. His 17.6 points, 14.7 rebounds and seven made field goals per contest are all career-highs. He’s still not passing as well as he should, but at least he’s almost averaging an assist per game. Just look at this play from Miami’s match-up against the Boston Celtics:
Whiteside posts up, does a great job recognizing an incoming double team, and finds a cutting Rodney McGruder for an easy basket. That’s a play that he probably wouldn’t even make last season. His feel for the game is clearly improving, though it still has to get better.
The 27 year-old center also had a career-best scoring performance this season. On November 21st, he exploded for 32 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. He went 13-for-19 from the floor, and secured 13 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive end. You can watch his highlights right over here, if you’d like.
As is often the case with Whiteside though, even that performance was somewhat tarnished. For starters, the Heat lost. Yes, the Miami Heat (of “not five, not six, not seven” fame), lost to the seemingly always-tanking 76ers. Whiteside also had five fouls, and allowed rookie Joel Embiid to put up such a performance that he took to Instagram immediately afterwards to share what he felt about Whiteside’s defense.
You will always notice some good and some bad when examining Whiteside as a player. Here’s some of the bad.