It took only 18 games for Hassan Whiteside to register his first career triple-double and carve his place in the Miami Heat record books. Considering his level of play in limited playing time this season, it’s easy to understand why he has exploded onto the scene. Whiteside needed only 25 minutes to put up 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 blocks in a 96-84 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. He is the first player to record at least 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 blocks in a game since Shawn Bradley did it nearly two decades ago in the 1997-98 season and he is the first player in the history of the Heat franchise to reach a dozen blocks in one game.
When asked about his performance after the win, Whiteside said that he simply wanted to get his rating in NBA 2K15 higher. The makers of the game responded by raising his rating and tweeted to Whiteside that they had made the necessary changes.
The Long Journey To The NBA
In order to understand the bigger picture of how difficult it was for Whiteside to get to this level, you have to know his short history in the NBA. He was a second round pick out of Marshall by the Sacramento Kings back in 2010 but after spending some time in the Developmental League, he tore a tendon in his left knee that forced him to miss all of 2011.
After working his way back in to shape the following year, he earned another short stint with the Kings but he struggled and was ultimately waived by the team. Whiteside spent more time in the D-League in 2013 before joining a team called Amchit Club in the Lebanese Basketball League and then moving to China.
This is where Whiteside really found his game as he averaged over 25 points, 16 rebounds, and five blocks per game while earning Defensive Player of the Year honors. He led the Sichuan Blue Whales to an NBL Championship and was awarded Finals MVP. After another brief stint in Lebanon, Whiteside returned to the NBA where he was waived twice by the Memphis Grizzlies before finally signing with the Heat in November of 2014. That’s where he would finally get his chance to show the basketball world what he could do on the biggest stage.
Exploding Onto The Scene
On January 4, 2014, Whiteside recorded his first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets in an 88-84 win. Exactly one week later, he broke out for 23 points, 16 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in a 104-90 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. After the game, he talked about how he had to call teams to beg for a workout before finally getting a chance with Miami.
“I called the Clippers for a workout, they said no,” Whiteside said. “I called every team for a workout, they said no, except the Heat. They gave me a chance and, I mean, it’s only right for me to give 110 percent effort every time.”
Whiteside has received opportunities thanks to injuries to Chris Andersen and Josh McRoberts, and the fact that the Heat were so thin at the position before that, but he hasn’t taken anything for granted. With every opportunity he has received, he has shined.
Chip On His Shoulder
There is no denying that Whiteside has worked his butt off and played with a chip on his shoulder in order to get to where he is now, but a ton of credit also belongs to the Miami management team and coaching staff for giving him a chance and helping him to develop. Juwan Howard has worked extensively with the 25-year-old and considering that in limited minutes he has averaged 8.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, it’s clear he has made an impact. Those who follow the advanced stats know just how ridiculously good his 27.00 PER is. That puts him sixth in the league in that category behind Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry.
The story of Whiteside’s journey has been just as impressive as his play and now he could be a key player for the Heat moving forward for years to come. Miami lost its best player when LeBron James left town this past offseason but if Whiteside can continue to dominate, they could have the makings of a new core with him and Bosh in the frontcourt, and Wade operating on the perimeter.
