The NBA is trending in the direction of pace and space. This has made things difficult on plodding bigs who do most of their work in the low post. But Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra still believes that there is a place for the classic big man. He doesn't believe that all bigs must be able to shoot the 3 effectively.

Spoelstra will need to find a way to find success with Heat center Hassan Whiteside. The 29-year-old is the prototypical big man — or at least what it used to be. He lives in the paint and dominates the boards while protecting the rim. His offensive arsenal is most effective in the low post and around the basket. He's not one to step outside the arc and stretch the defense.

While Spoelstra is correct in some respects, Whiteside still has his limitations. The league is becoming heavily reliant on the pick-and-roll. Big men who can't shoot can still be effective in the pick-and-roll, but Whiteside was in the 50th percentile in points per possession as the roll man last season.

Having a big who doesn't shoot or run the pick-and-roll well makes things difficult on the coach. But the good news is that Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the league. Whiteside still has value in the league even if his game doesn't completely align with the trend of pace and space.

It will be interesting to see Spoelstra find the most effective ways to use Whiteside.