If the Heat make good on their potential as a dark horse contender for the NBA title, it will largely be due to center Hassan Whiteside, who has a pretty good case as the NBA's most underrated player.
When talk turns to dominant NBA centers, the names that come up are typically Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol, DeMarcus Cousins, etc. Whiteside rarely comes up, despite averaging a double-double last season (11.8 points, 10 rebounds) and 2.6 blocks per game.
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| Name | FG% | Points | Rebounds | Off.Rebounds | Blocks | PER | 2015-16 Salary |
| H.Whiteside | 62.8% | 11.8 | 10 | 3 | 2.6 | 26.2 | $981,348 |
| D. Howard | 59% | 15.8 | 10.5 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 19.2 | $22,359,364 |
| A. Davis | 53.5% | 24.4 | 10.2 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 30.8 | $7,070,730 |
| D. Cousins | 42% | 22 | 11 | 2.7 | 1 | 25.3 | $15,851,950 |
| M. Gasol | 49.4% | 17.4 | 7.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 21.7 | $19,689,000 |
Other centers may warrant mentioning, but the picture is clear. Last season Whiteside, on a per game basis, was a better offensive rebounder than all of those premier centers, a better shot-blocker than all but Davis, and had a better PER than all but Davis. And yet, Whiteside didn't even crack $1 million, while Howard checked in at a cool $22 million.
Whiteside has some warts. His track record doesn't go beyond last season, when he come out of absolutely nowhere, and he has shown multiple times he can go off the deep end and hurt his team with immature flagrant and/or technical fouls. This is also the last year he will cost this much; Whiteside will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and through three games he is averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots. On Sunday, Whiteside terrorized the Rockets with a 25-point, 15-rebound performance with three steals and two blocks.
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The only thing separating Whiteside from a max contract and recognition as possibly the NBA's best center is some shooting range. Last season more than half of Whiteside's shot attempts came from within three feet or closer. If he can extend himself to even 10 feet, the other names on the above chart have to watch out.
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