Heat officially sign Hassan Whiteside, add guard Rodney McGruder
MIAMI, FL â The Miami HEAT announced Thursday that they have re-signed center Hassan Whiteside and signed free agent guard Rodney McGruder. As per club policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Whiteside, the NBA leading shot blocker, appeared in 73 games (43 starts) with the HEAT last season and averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.68 blocks and 29.1 minutes while shooting 60.6 percent from the field. He blocked an NBA-best 269 shots, 92 more than the next highest player in the league, and the second-most blocks during a single-season in HEAT history. He helped anchor Miami's defense that averaged a franchise-best 6.48 blocks and team-best 531 rejections this season while giving up just 98.4 points per game to opponents, ranking as the third-least amount of points in the Eastern Conference and the fifth-least in the entire NBA.
The HEAT finished in the top six for fewest points allowed for the seventh consecutive season, tying for the fifth-longest streak over the last 40 years. He led Miami in rebounds a team-high 55 times and grabbed double-figure rebounds a team-high 53 times, just three short of tying the single-season team record of 56 held by Rony Seikaly in 1991-92. He averaged 11.8 rebounds per game, the highest single-season rebound average in team history and grabbed his 1,000th rebound as a member of the HEAT on February 22, doing so in his 95th game, becoming the all-time quickest player in team history to reach the 1,000-rebound plateau. He posted a team-best 41 double-doubles, ranking tied for eighth-most in the NBA and a team-high three triple-doubles, ranking tied for sixth-most in the league. He recorded 22 five-plus block games, the second-most during a single-season in HEAT history and began the season blocking multiple shots in 21 consecutive games, the third-longest streak to start a season over the last 30 years, only Mark Eaton (1988-89) and Shaquille O'Neal (1992-93) had longer streaks.
Whiteside, who was selected to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team, became just the second player in NBA history to block at least 250 shots and shoot over 60 percent (.606) from the field, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who accomplished the feat during the 1979-80 season and he also became just the third player over the last 20 years to post at least 1,000 points (1,040) and block at least 250 shots, joining Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo. Additionally, his 9.7 block percentage was the highest in the NBA, no other player had a percentage higher than 6.1.
McGruder appeared in 48 games (44 starts) with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League last season, averaging 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.38 steals and 37.5 minutes, while shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from three-point range and 73.9 percent from the free throw line. He led the team in points (758), field goals made (290), three-point field goals made (93) and plus-minus (+367), and finished second on the team in steals (66) and third in rebounds (255). Additionally, he scored in double-figures 40 times, including 14 20-point games and two 30-point games, while helping the Skyforce to a D-League record 40 wins. In the playoffs, he appeared in seven games (all starts), averaging 22.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 42.3 minutes, while shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three-point range en route to the Skyforce's first NBA D-League championship in franchise history.
McGruder split time during the 2014-15 season between the Maine Red Claws and Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 23.1 minutes in 29 games (seven starts). He also played for Atomeromu SE Paks of the Hungarian A League in 2013-14, where he averaged 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.59 steals in 27.8 minutes.
McGruder, who played all four seasons at Kansas State, is currently on the HEAT's summer league team.
