Whiteside nominated for Block of the Year

MIAMI — The blockedshot total was down this season, so Defensive Player of the Year is probably out. And with so many strides previously made, Most Improved Player also is unlikely.

But that doesn’t mean that Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside is out of the running when it comes to the NBA’s first-ever postseason awards show on June 26.

One moment in time may just salvage that possibility.

Amid the Heat’s uneven start to the season, during a 96-87 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 4 at Air Canada Centre, Whiteside made his lone block of the game one to remember, with 5:35 left in the first quarter not only blocking a six-foot hook shot by Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, but catching the ball, as well, credited with a rebound one second later for that catch.

Whiteside’s block is one of three nominated by the NBA for Block of the Year, with fan balloting ongoing at nba.com/NBAAwards/ vote. That voting continues through June 22.

Whiteside’s competition for the rejection award is New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis, for a similar block-and-catch against the Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, and San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, for a game-saving block in transition against Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

Whiteside is the lone Heat player nominated in the awards open to fan balloting, with the other categories for Assist of the Year, Dunk of the Year, Game Winner of the Year and Performance of the Year. There also is a fan vote for Best Style, with former Heat guard Dwyane Wade nominated in that category for his unique fashion sense.

The awards show, to be televised by TNT from New York, also will feature presentation of the league’s annual awards, such as MVP, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player and NBA coach of the Year.

Media voting for those awards was completed before the start of the playoffs, with the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra speculated as a candidate for Coach of the Year and the Heat’s James Johnson a possibility for Most Improved Player or the Sixth Man Award.

The annual All-NBA teams will be announced in advance of the awards show.

As with the NBA’s annual awards, the awards for individual plays were limited to the regular season.

Of Whiteside’s nomination, Heat guard Josh Richardson posted on Twitter, “You probably eat pop tarts with no frosting if you don’t vote @youngwhiteside for block or the year.”

Hassan Whiteside is the lone Heat player nominated in the awards open to fan balloting.