VIDEO: Heat's Whiteside drops 23 points, 16 rebounds in win over Clippers
The Miami Heat might have found themselves a diamond in the rough with center Hassan Whiteside.
In an impressive road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, Whiteside notched 23 points, 16 rebounds, two blocks and two steals off the bench.
Whiteside was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2011 and signed by the Heat earlier this season after spending two years without an NBA contract. He played sparingly, averaging only 13.2 minutes before Sunday, and had recently served a stint in the D-League.
After the game, Whiteside expressed his appreciation for the Heat, who took a chance on him when no one else would.
Whiteside: "I always have a chip on my shoulder. The HEAT gave me a chance & it's only right I give 110% every time." pic.twitter.com/R6nmij50rz
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 11, 2015
The Clippers and Whiteside actually had some history: Whiteside revealed in a postgame interview that the Clippers refused to give him a training camp invite.
Whiteside is averaging 6.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 14.4 minutes, which translates to averages of 16.6 points, 14.4 rebounds and 4.4 blocks on a per-36 minute basis.