Pat Riley Nearly Drafted Hassan Whiteside in 2010
Hassan Whiteside, fresh off a 16-point, 16-rebound down performance against the Bucks, blocks a shot about every seven minutes -- an absurdity that paces the entire NBA.
As the swat machine looks to sustain his impact play as the Miami Heat's starting center, a tale surfaced of Pat Riley nearly drafting the seven-footer out of Marshall back in 2010. Via Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel:
The Heat wavered between drafting him and Texas center Dexter Pittman in 2010 with a high second-round pick. There were differences, starting Pittman's more developed body and game.
"When Hassan came from Marshall, he had no clue,'' Riley said. "He just didn't have that basketball IQ. I remember seeing Marshall just put him in a zone in the middle of the court, and he just stood there. He didn't know how to play man-to-man defense."
The Heat took Pittman with the 32nd pick. Sacramento took Whiteside with the 33rd. He played in one game for Sacramento that year before being shipped to Reno of the Development League and starting his journey.
Today, Dexter Pittman is playing overseas in Turkey after unsuccessfully bouncing around the NBA for four seasons. Meanwhile, Hassan Whiteside leads all centers in Player Efficiency Rating, rebound rate, and blocks per 48 minutes.