How Much Longer Can Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside Keep Heat Afloat?

MIAMI — The new-look Miami Heat demanded a strong on-court connection between Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic.

Not only does the pair comprise Miami’s highest-paid healthy players, those two are the only ones who qualify as proven upper-echelon NBA commodities.

But the need for chemistry and the creation of it are two different things. Fortunately for the Heat, that bond is already strong enough to support their post-Big Three foundation. While the next few months could determine whether it’s a longstanding base or a temporary bridge to whatever comes next, it’s at least a solid footing for the 2016-17 group to build upon.

“Me and him have a great connection,” Dragic said. “We work a lot. I feel comfortable playing with him.”

That comfort has surfaced more frequently of late, a surge best captured by a discrete sequence midway through Miami’s 114-103 loss to the New York Knicks on Dec. 6. Following a Whiteside steal, the 7-footer navigated a four-on-one fast break before no-look finding Dragic at the rim.

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It was only Whiteside’s 16th assist in 22 games, pushing his career assist percentage to a meager 2.2—fifth-lowest in NBA history (min. 4,000 minutes). But the fact that his weakness became a positive with the inclusion of Dragic highlights the rhythm these two have found.

Individually, their stats have sizzled all season.

Their combined 35.6 points per game constitute 36.6 percent of Miami’s nightly output. With Dragic sitting 13th in assists (6.5 per game) and Whiteside holding the top spot in rebounds (14.7) and No. 3 perch in blocks (2.5), they’re one of only three point guard-center combos with top-15 rankings in all three categories.

“It’s me and Goran,” Whiteside said of the Heat leadership. “Guys look at how we come out.”

After a two-game absence for a strained elbow, Dragic has played his best basketball with the Heat. He’s averaging 23.0 points on 48.1 percent shooting (41.2 outside), 8.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds over his last six games while recording his most points (29) and assists (17) in Miami.

For context, only perennial All-Stars LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and John Wall have averaged 23/8/4 this season.

“He’s playing as high of a level as anybody right now,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s making so many plays. Intensity of play is a skill, and Goran has that.”

Not to be outdone, Whiteside has recorded at least 23 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks during four of the six contests. His 57.3 field-goal percentage has jumped from the 53.8 rate he reached in his first 16 outings.

“What I see is a more consistent Hassan Whiteside, a guy that’s really dominant on more nights than not,” former Heat assistant and current Memphis Grizzlies skipper David Fizdale said. “Last year and the year before, he may have had a few games where he wasn’t ‘Hassan.’ But this year, it seems like every night he’s been impacting …

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