What We Learned
If there is one thing we learned about Whiteside this season, it’s that he is far more than the one-dimensional defensive force that he was when he entered the league.
Slowly but surely, he’s morphed into one of the very best at the center position, and is that much closer to being the star that Miami so desperately needs.
No longer is he going to be remembered for his desire to have his NBA 2K rating increased, or for his occasional grammar miscues during post game interviews.
While Miami failed to make the post season for the second time in three years, the future is bright in South Beach, and primarily thanks to no. 21.
Not only did Whiteside prove that he’s beyond capable of putting up hellacious numbers on a consistent basis, he showed that when it comes down to winning time, Spoelstra and company have a viable offensive option down low, whether the play is drawn up for him or not.
Can’t forget the defensive end either, right?
Who could forget the time that Whiteside took on the assignment of defending Bradley Beal one-on-one with less than 10 seconds on the clock.
The Wizards were down three, had the home crowd behind them and Beal clearly had foot speed advantage.
Unable to ultimately shake Whiteside free, Beal was forced to step back and attempt a contested three pointer over the outstretched arms of the seven-footer.
The shot didn’t even make it halfway to the rim, and Miami’s playoff hopes were still alive.
Whiteside's game saving block on Bradley Beal was one of the defining plays from the 2016-17 @MiamiHEAT season. pic.twitter.com/Ki56T2h4l9
— Cory Sanning (@CorySanning) May 10, 2017
It’s impressive to see a team that possesses zero all stars fight quite like this, and over the course of the second half of the season, Miami took the league by storm, garnering the second-best record in the NBA during that span.
Outside of Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters, Heat fans have Whiteside to thank for that.