4. Hassan Whiteside
Stats (2015-present): 14.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 59 percent from the floor
In the beginning, Whiteside was a great feel-good story. Having spent the majority of his professional career playing overseas and in the D-League, no. 21 found himself a spot on Miami’s development affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Just two months into the 2014-15 season, and Whiteside has officially earned himself a spot on the Heat’s 15-man roster.
It wasn’t until his breakout triple double against the Chicago Bulls (14 points, 13 rebounds, 12 blocks) did opposing scouts begin paying attention to the young, athletic cog in the middle.
Not only has he developed into one of the better centers in all of professional basketball, he’s redefined the art of shot blocking as we know it (the cradle block is my personal favorite.)
While Miami would go on to miss the playoffs, it had a bright future ahead of it now that Riley and company finally found the big guy that they so desperately longed for.
He was even better in 2015-16, leading the league in blocked shots per game at a whopping rate of nearly four per night. He was the textbook rim protector, and continued to develop on the offensive end, throwing three more triple doubles in there as well.
In the 2016 Playoffs, Whiteside flourished in the first round against Charlotte, but injuries would ultimately cripple his chances of playing against Toronto in the next round, and may have cost the Heat a trip to the Conference Finals that year.
In his first season as the highest paid player on this team, it’s easy to say he did not disappoint, putting up career-highs in points (17.0) and rebounds (14.1) as the Heat narrowly missed the postseason for the second time in three years.
Although they found themselves going fishing when it mattered the most, the future is bright for this young core of players.