In the last couple of seasons, Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside has emerged as one of the league's most talented big man.
Although he has made his mark primarily through his play defensively, he is becoming an increasingly dependable player on the other end of the floor. This is something that head coach Erik Spoelstra recently pointed out to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report.
“What he does is really unique,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He's a dominant defensive player that makes your entire team defense better, and he's as impactful as any center in the league offensively.”
Whiteside is coming off his best individual season where he averaged a career-high 17.0 points on 55.7 percent shooting from the field with 14.1 rebounds per game. It was his first season where he was one of the primary offensive contributors for the Heat that led to a notable spike in offensive production.
The 28-year-old had shown continued progress in the season opener with a 20-point, 20-rebound game against the Orlando Magic. Although he is currently dealing with a bothersome knee injury, Whiteside has shown continued development in his game.
It has largely been dependent on his play in the pick-and-roll, but he has begun to add more scoring in the low post as he has mixed in the use of a hook shot while utilizing his physical strength to back defenders down to the rim. Once he returns from his injury, he will have an opportunity to build on that further that may lead to another breakout year offensively.
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