NBA confirms Hassan Whiteside is eligible for Most Improved Player
It would be fitting if Hassan Whiteside's unlikely renaissance was capped off with an award officially recognizing his incredible story.
A quick refresher: a second-round pick in 2012, Whiteside played 19 games over two seasons before flaming out of the league. He then headed to the D-League, Lebanon and China to ply his trade and try to work his way back, getting passed over by several teams before the Miami Heat finally took a flier on him this season.
From there, he set the league on fire, dunking, flexing, blocking shots, posting ridiculous stat lines, talking trash and, most importantly, improving his 2K rating. There have been hiccups, with minor injuries and a suspension on his record, but for the most part, he's been the biggest bright spot in a trying Heat season.
The story makes it clear Whiteside has improved a great deal, going from afterthought and vagabond to productive starter in short order. It's certainly a story deserving of Most Improved Player consideration, if the award's criteria allowed for it.
"I don't even know if I qualify for it," Whiteside said the other day, unsure if players who have been out of the league are eligible upon returning.
The NBA confirmed to the Miami Herald that any non-rookie or first-year player is eligible, meaning voters are in the clear to give Whiteside the nod, should they deem him worthy.
Playing on a minimum contract after two-plus years out of the league, Whiteside is averaging 11.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 62.2 percent from the floor. Compare those numbers to those he posted in the last two seasons - 0, 0, 0 and 0 - and the improvement is obvious, though quantifying it is a little tricky.
The issue for Whiteside now that eligibility is out of the way is there are a plethora of candidates this season, and the vote could be spread out over any number of players. The list of candidates is nearly endless, and the criteria used by voters is sure to vary, but Whiteside should at least command enough votes to constitute a well-deserved pat on the back.