Miami Heat: New-look second unit proving a winner

While it may have been discovered by chance, the new-look second unit of the Miami Heat is certainly delivering the goods.

Since arriving in 2015, Goran Dragic was cemented in the starting lineup for his initial 260 appearances for the Miami Heat. In the case of Hassan Whiteside, his status as the Heat’s starting center had been intact since April 10, 2016.

However, due to a combination of their recent absences and the up-and-down nature of the Heat this season, Dragic and Whiteside have found themselves playing alongside each other as part of a new-look Heat second unit.

Having struggled his way through 14 games this season, Dragic eventually succumbed to his nagging knee injury, with the ensuing surgery sidelining him for 31 games.

Upon return, and with Justise Winslow having assumed the playmaking duties in his absence, Dragic found himself in the unfamiliar role as backup point guard. However, this hasn’t diminished his production.

Despite averaging just 19.9 minutes in his five games back as a reserve, Dragic has averaged 14.6 points on a .480/.400/.944 shooting split while returning a 6.1 net rating.

In just his third game back as a reserve, Dragic posted 27 points in just 20 minutes, including 20 in the second quarter alone, as the Heat emerged with a thrilling 126-125 win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1100936362562330630

Whiteside’s absence was much shorter, just a three-game layoff due to a minor injury.

However, with backup Bam Adebayo impressing in the starting lineup as the Heat won two of the three games, Whiteside was relegated to the second unit, breaking a streak of 187 regular-season games as the starting center.

To his credit, Whiteside has taken the demotion in his stride, noting recently:

"“If that’s what coach wants, that’s what he wants….Yeah, whatever the team needs. I’m just going to come out here and try to dominate my minutes, be effective when I’m out there.”"

Like Dragic, Whiteside has also thus far made an enormous impact despite limited playing time. Averaging 19.6 minutes in his three games as a reserve, Whiteside has posted 11.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game while returning an astounding 21.2 net rating.

In his second game coming off the bench, Whiteside became the first player since Herb Williams in 1983 to register 18 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in just 20 minutes of play.

Then of course, there’s been the ever-steady presence all season of Heat legend Dwyane Wade. Averaging 14.2 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, Wade has been a steadying force throughout his 55 appearances this season.

In addition to this experienced trio, the emerging Derrick Jones Jr. and swingman Rodney McGruder round out a versatile and formidable five-man bench unit.

Currently on a four-game winning streak, the Heat have found themselves back in the playoff race, presently in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

With just 17 games remaining in the regular season, and given the performance of the starting unit over the past fortnight, there’s a very real chance that a dynamic trio of Wade, Dragic and Whiteside could be featuring in the second unit for the remainder of the season and beyond.

Given both their capabilities and performance thus far, this Heat second unit could easily measure up against any Eastern Conference teams, in both the regular and post seasons.