NBA’s All-Windex Team
By Mason McFee
Mar 23, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) and Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) battle for a loose ball during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Honorable Mentions
Depending on how you look at it, this section might be your favorite or least favorite.
You may be persuaded to go along with my line of thinking. You may think I’m crazy for not including “x” player. Or you might be happy that “x” player isn’t chosen for whatever reason.
Wherever you fall on the spectrum, here is my list of guys that could have just as easily made the list, but fell just short.
Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
272 offensive rebounds. 739 defensive rebounds, good for second in the league. Third in the league in the total rebounds category. So how on Earth does he not make the team?
Look, I respect Whiteside’s game. He’s a perfect fit for Miami this season, and I respect his decision to stay loyal to the team that gave him a shot. Whiteside is a great rebounder, but I think his stats are a bit inflated.
Whiteside leads the Heat with an average of 14 boards a game. The next highest average belongs to Justise Winslow at 5.2…. and he’s been out since January.
Look further and you’ll find that their fifth-leading rebounder is Sixth Man Tyler Johnson (4.0). While the discrepancy in rebounding averages may seem like it would equate to a bad team, it hasn’t seemed to matter to the Heat; who might make the playoffs after starting off the season 11-30.
Whiteside (and his rebounding) has been a big part of the Heat’s playoff push, but I think they might be a little empty; and even more so if the Heat don’t make the playoffs.