Hassan Whiteside isn't like most D-League call-ups. But with the growth of the NBA's lower division and the Miami Heat's stroke of genius in calling up Whiteside, there could be many more like him down the line.
Not so much shot-swatting, rim-rocking 7-footers, but rather young players on whom teams take low-risk, multiyear gambles.
You may remember Whiteside as the NBA's next Jeremy Lin, at least as far as overnight sensations are concerned. Like Lin with the New York Knicks back in 2012, Whiteside went from unknown D-Leaguer to a solid starter in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
But in reality, it didn't happen quite that quickly for Whiteside.
He appeared in just three games—for less than 10 minutes total—before the Heat sent him down to the D-League in mid-December. Even after Miami brought him back, Whiteside didn't start to see substantial playing time for another couple of weeks, until he put in productive minutes against Memphis, Orlando and Indiana to close out the calendar year.
The Heat were able to shuttle him between the big club and the D-League affiliate in Sioux ...
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Article written by Josh Martin
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