Player exit review: Hassan Whiteside continues to grow
By Cory Sanning
Best Performance: February 4, 2017 vs. Philadelphia: 30 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, 82 percent shooting.
Whiteside’s most dominating performance of the season came in just 27 minutes of play in a 125-102 blowout against the Philadelphia 76ers.
During the midst of a contest in which the Heat never trailed, Whiteside was at the peak of his powers.
Using his massive seven-foot, 265 pound frame, Whiteside bullied the likes of Nerlens Noel and Ersan Ilyasova, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the opening nine minutes and 40 seconds.
Earning a double-double in the first half alone is impressive, but to do it in less than one quarter is unheard of, and that’s something that Whiteside did not have the ability to do a year ago.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, he had missed a grand total of three shots while attempting 17 for the game.
He also finished with a plus-24 plus/minus rating, which was only usurped by Dion Waiters, who had a plus-30 on the night.
Whiteside has had games this season in which he logged more points and rebounds, but one can only imagine what his final box score would’ve looked like had he played during the fourth period.