Miami Heat: Reliving The 10 Most Memorable Performances Of The Season
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
As we close the book on the 2016-17 season, let's start off by looking back at the five best performances by a Miami Heat player this year.
The 2016-17 NBA season is over for the Miami Heat. After an incredible (albeit improbable) run in the second half of the year — which saw the team win 30 of their final 41 contests — Miami ultimately fell painfully short of their biggest goal, to make the playoffs.
In the end, a tiebreaker is what separated them from the Chicago Bulls for a spot in the postseason. Just a tiebreaker. It stinks, but such is life sometimes.
These guys deserved some sort of recognition for the 60-win pace they were on after January, but in any case, the year served as great experience for young players like Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson, who are all still learning the ins-and-outs of life in the NBA.
Nonetheless, it was an anti-climactic (and abrupt) end to the year for the Heat. We can look back at countless tight losses. We can complain about a missed call here or there that decided an outcome. Or we could even bring up Miami's horrid 11-30 start. But after such an immaculate close to the season, why be negative?
Although about half of the active roster is set to hit free agency (chief among them Dion Waiters and James Johnson), we don't have to worry about that for another few months. Instead, I say we remember the good times first. And there were plenty to choose from.
Let's look back at the 10 most memorable individual performances of 2016-17 Heat season that was.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
10. Josh Richardson's 19 points vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers (Apr. 10)
Final stat line:
It's rare to find guards who can impact games on the defensive end like Richardson can. Though his 2016-17 campaign was almost a lost cause (missed 30 games due to injury), Miami's backup 2-guard still found a way to contribute late in the season.
Apr. 10 against the Cleveland Cavaliers was arguably the Heat's most important outing of the year. A loss would have knocked them out of the playoff race with another game left to play.
Even worse, their demise would have come at the hands of the Cavs' B-Team, since LeBron James and Kyrie Irving got the night off to rest. What was almost utter humiliation (thankfully) didn't come to fruition, because Richardson didn't allow it to.
Clutch shots, ravenous defense and timely rebounds from the second-year guard helped the Heat seal a vital win. And it was just one of many impressive performances he had to close the season. Over the final six games of the year, Richardson averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, as well as 2.3 steals and 1.5 blocks, on .464/.531/.900 percent shooting splits. That'll do.
Whether it be as a starter or key reserve, I predict a huge 2017-18 campaign for the Heat's young shooting guard.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
9. Dion Waiters's 33 points vs. the Milwaukee Bucks (Jan. 21)
Final stat line:
This was the first of Waiters' back-to-back 33-point scoring outbursts. (I'm positive you remember the one that followed. If you don't, I assure you we'll be getting to it.)
Waiters finished the night with a season-high in scoring, along with five threes and three assists.
Jan. 21 against the Milwaukee Bucks is the game that set off the shooting guard's best stretch of the season. Starting on that night, and for the 20 contests that followed, Waiters averaged 19.6 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game on 46.8 percent shooting from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc — surprisingly efficient numbers for a guy considered a reckless gunner throughout the majority of his career.
Will that period of excellent play be enough to garner Waiters a big-time contract offer this offseason? We'll only have to wait a couple of months to find out.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
8. Goran Dragic's 33 points vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves (Feb. 6)
Final stat line:
Tied for Goran Dragic's second highest scoring output of the season, Feb. 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves was a game to remember for Miami's point guard. He finished with 33 points, dropped in seven threes and dished out nine assists for good measure.
This season, only four times did a player score at least 33 points on 17 shot attempts or less, in addition to having nine assists. Dragic, his old teammate Eric Bledsoe and MVP candidate James Harden (who did it twice) populate the list. Not bad company to be with.
Moreover, this performance was vital for another reason. Heat fans will recall this night as win No. 11 in the team's 13-game win streak, which was instrumental in turning the season around after a…slow start to 2016-17 for Miami. (We're going with slow to be nice.)
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
7. Hassan Whiteside's 30 points vs. the Philadelphia 76ers (Feb. 24)
Final stat line:
A game in which Rookie of the Year candidate Joel Embiid got a night off to rest, Whiteside had little trouble absolutely demolishing his backups to the tune of 30 points and 20 boards. Oh, and it took him fewer than 27 minutes, to boot.
His performance was so explosive, in fact, that it was just the second time since 1983-84 that a player scored at least 30 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked three shots, all in 28 minutes or less. The other player to accomplish the feat? Just some guy called Alonzo Mourning.
Great to see Whiteside join the company of the greatest center in Heat franchise history. Suffice it to say, if his focus continues to improve, Miami's current center may eventually take that mantle all to himself.
Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
6. James Johnson's 24 points vs. the Utah Jazz (Dec. 1)
Final stat line:
Truly one of the most underrated performances of the season, James Johnson's Dec. 1 showing against the Utah Jazz signaled his arrival as a pivotal player for the Heat.
Putting up 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting against Utah's third-ranked defense is impressive enough. Add in the fact that it happened in Salt Lake City's treacherous altitude? Incredible.
Oh, and let's not forget that it was the second night of a back-to-back, the first game in that stretch being in Denver's equally unforgiving conditions. It was an astounding outing from Miami's power forward, and one of the lone bright spots in the Heat's early season malaise.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
5. Tyler Johnson's 23 points vs. the Atlanta Hawks (Feb. 24)
Final stat line:
Simply the most efficient performance by a Miami player this season. On Feb. 24, Tyler Johnson scored 23, missed two shots all night, handed out five assists and turned the ball over zero times.
In 2016-17, only three times did a player score at least 23 points on 11 shots or fewer, and have five assists without turning the ball over. They were T. Johnson, Chris Paul(!!!) and Kevin Durant(!!!!!). Whenever you see a 24-year-old put up a stat line only matched by two future Hall-of-Famers, it probably warrants some attention.
Johnson sneakily had a great season; if he continues on this trajectory, he could one day blossom into a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
4. James Johnson's 26 points vs. the Charlotte Hornets (Apr. 5)
Final stat line:
Like Richardson's showing against the Cavs from early April, J. Johnson's 26-point outburst against the Charlotte Hornets was prominent not just for the absurdity of shooting 10-for-12, but also because it came in a game the Heat absolutely had to have.
Per ESPN Stats and Info, it was the first time in Miami's franchise history that a player scored 26 points on 12 shots or fewer while taking zero free throws. Think about it. J. Johnson did something the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Mourning or James were unable to match. Eye-popping effectiveness from arguably the Heat's most pleasant surprise of the season.
J. Johnson was one of the players who took missing the playoffs the hardest.
Despite the fact he's set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent this summer, I would be shocked if Pat Riley didn't find a way to bring him back for 2017-18, perhaps even with a bigger role. As a starter in Miami's final five outings, J. Johnson averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists, along with 1.2 steals and 1.6 threes per game on 50.7 percent shooting.
He wouldn't be Blake Griffin or Paul Millsap (two other free agent options), but he's a fascinating candidate to be the Heat's starting power forward of the future.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
3. Goran Dragic's 33 points vs. the Charlotte Hornets (Apr. 5)
Final stat line:
Poor Hornets.
Not only did they have J. Johnson rain threes down on them and set a franchise record in the process, they also had Dragic to deal with, who finished with five threes, 33 points on 61.9 percent shooting in the same game.
Oof. Sorry about that, Charlotte.
The only reason this performances ranks higher than J. Johnson's is because Dragic had to deal with All Star Kemba Walker on the defensive end as well.
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
2. Hassan Whiteside's 30 points vs. the Washington Wizards (Apr. 05)
Final stat line:
Whiteside's best performance of the year came on Apr. 5, on the road against the Washington Wizards.
In what's become a theme on our list, the Heat needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. They were on the second night of a back-to-back, having come off a painful loss to the Toronto Raptors the game before. Most expected the Heat to falter, as the Wizards started and played their usual rotation (which led them to a 49-win campaign), without just Otto Porter Jr., who was nursing a minor injury.
But Whiteside wasn't ready for the season to be over.
Jumpers, tidy post moves and even some sneaky passes, this was Whiteside firing on all cylinders. It was such an impress showing, that long-time Heat writer Couper Moorhead made the following proclamation afterwards:
Considering the stat line and stakes at hand, it's tough to argue with Coup on this one.
Whiteside really seemed to turn a corner in the second half of the year, learning to chase victories and not personal stats. Hopefully his newfound attitude carries over into next season.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
1. Dion Waiters' 33 points vs. the Golden State Warriors (Jan. 23)
Final stat line:
You knew we had to close with the game that put Dion Waiters on the map as a legitimate NBA starter, while also transforming him into a meme (but a good one this time).
Waiters was utter basketball splendor for one night in January, finishing with 33 points, five boards, four assists and one game-winner.
Sure, the Golden State Warriors were playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Yes, they spent the previous night in Miami, so they were probably experiencing flu-like symptoms around game time. Doesn't matter. Waiters' performance that night was special, and really kick-started the Heat's turnaround this season.
The mercurial shooting guard will be an unrestricted free agent this summer (barring him opting into the second year of his deal, which would pay him $3 million next year — don't hold your breath). And his market will be riveting. Though he had a brilliant month and a half, he appeared in just 46 games all year.
Is that enough of a sample size to warrant a huge contract offer, be it from the Heat or some other team? Tough to tell. Regardless, what a season. From Waiters and everyone else involved. The future, starting with this summer's draft, followed by free agency, will be exciting times in South Florida.
More from Hoops Habit
This article originally appeared on 
