With Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside supposedly close to making his return, let’s take a look back at some of his best 2016-17 moments.
It hasn’t been the ideal start to a season for Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside.
While he recorded a monster 26 points and 22 rebounds against the Orlando Magic during the team’s first game of the year, he then missed the next five due to a bruised knee. And has once again been sidelined for the same reason, since November 29.
However, it seems the center is almost ready to return. Having been cleared by the team physician to start on-court work once more, Whiteside participated in practice drills on Thursday.
"“This is his first court work and it’s good to obviously see him out here,” said head coach Erik Spoelstra. “But we’ll evaluate him after today and see if he can do more.”"
With the Heat currently sitting at 13-14, fans certainly hope he’ll be able to, and then some.
But in the meantime, they can take a walk down memory lane and look back on the 7-footer’s best moments of 2016-17.
December 14 vs. Indiana Pacers
When Miami faced off against Indiana most recently, it wasn’t pretty. They took an 120-95 loss, arguably hitting the season’s rock bottom. And while Whiteside was active for the matchup, he contributed an underwhelming 15 points and seven rebounds.
But a year ago, things were a different story.
The Heat earned a 95-89 victory over the Pacers, with the North Carolina-native totaling 26 points, 22 rebounds and two blocks, in 34 minutes. And what’s even more impressive, is the fact that he went 10-of-16 from the field.
January 10 vs. Golden State Warriors
Although when it comes to Miami taking on Golden State, most fans have the January 23 win burned into their memories, even the earlier loss is significant.
Why?
Well, Whiteside finished with 26 points (on 12-of-17 shooting) and 20 rebounds in 37 minutes, while also recording two assists, two blocks and one steal. He was doing a little bit of everything, all over the dang place.
February 4 vs. Philadelphia 76ers
When one thinks of No. 21 in relation to the 76ers, the first thing that comes to mind is his beef with Joel Embiid.
Of course, the big-talker wasn’t around to face off against Whiteside last season, instead sidelined with a knee injury. So the Heat center went to town on Philadelphia’s depleted roster, making everything seem like a piece of cake.
He finished with 30 points and 20 rebounds in 27 minutes, also having swatted three blocks.
And all head coach Brett Brown could say was, “we couldn’t guard him.”
April 8 vs. Washington Wizards
The underdog posted another 30-point game in 2016-17, this time against Marcin Gortat and the rest of the Wizards.
Whiteside had 30 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals, in 37 minutes. One of those blocks being against Bradley Beal’s 3-point buzzer beater attempt, leading to Miami’s 106-103 win.
Unfortunately, the team’s late-season surge wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs, but wins like these proved their worth as a unit nevertheless.
Next: The Fandom 250: What happened to the Miami Heat?
Hassan Whiteside went to work last year with the Miami Heat, and is getting closer to being able to pick up where he left off.