Miami Heat: 5 goals for Hassan Whiteside in 2017-18
2. Be selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team
Hassan Whiteside joined some rare company last season, submitting just the 13th campaign with averages of at least 17 points, 14 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, but he was the only player not to be selected to the All-Star game while posting those figures.
The lofty totals from Whiteside came nearly on a nightly basis, as he tallied 58 double-doubles, tying him with Rudy Gobert for the fourth-most in the league last season.
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Players capable of making significant contributions on both sides of the floor, especially for Miami, rarely get snubbed.
Last season was the first time since 2004 no player on the Heat roster was selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
If Whiteside manages to post similar statistics, and if Miami avoids an awful start to the season, leaving him off the All-Star roster will be a difficult task.
ESPN selected Whiteside as one of seven players likely to make their All-Star debut next year, along with Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic and Bradley Beal.
For each of the past two seasons, Whiteside has managed to post the highest average in a significant category. If he leads the league in blocks or rebounds next season, justifying his position as an elite player in the Eastern Conference will come naturally.