4 Heat Players You Would've Never Guessed Led the Team in Scoring
By Nick Porr
The Miami Heat have only been in the NBA since 1988, making them one of the NBA's youngest teams. Nonetheless, the Heat have experienced some of the most consistent success of any franchise in that short window. From Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway to the "Big Three" era, Miami has been led by plenty of stars.
In between their unforgettable seasons, the Heat were led by names many may not remember. These four players led the Miami Heat in scoring for a season, and they will shock you.
4. 2016-2017: Goran Dragic
Goran Dragic has been a great player on the Miami Heat for the past six seasons, working as a complementary piece beside stars like Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. In the 2016-2017 season, with Wade playing in Chicago and Chris Bosh out with blood clot issues, Dragic led Hassan Whiteside, Justice Winslow, and a resurgent Dion Waiters with 20.3 points per game. Dragic would earn his first and only All-Star appearance, and the Heat finished a surprising 41-41 on his back.
3. 1989-1990: Rony Seikaly
Rony Seikaly was on the Heat from day one. Seikaly was their first ever draft pick going No. 9 overall in the 1988 NBA Draft. In his second season, Seikaly exploded and averaged 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game winning him the Most Improved Player Award that season. Seikaly never again topped the team in scoring, but he spent six productive seasons starting for the Heat.
2. 1988-1989: Kevin Edwards
The Miami Heat's inaugural season was one to forget. The squad went 15-67, the worst record in the NBA. That season, the leader became rookie Kevin Edwards. The shooting guard from DePaul was taken with the No. 20 overall pick in the NBA Draft, and he lead the team with 13.8 points per game his rookie season. Edwards would not average more than 14.0 PPG across the rest of his career.
1. 1990-1991: Sherman Douglas
In the 1990-1991 season, second-year player Sherman Douglas managed to lead the Miami Heat in scoring, ahead of future three-time All-Star Glen Rice. Douglas put up 18.5 PPG on the 24-58 Miami Heat that year to go along with 8.5 assists per game. The following season, Douglas was traded to the Boston Celtics for Brian Shaw after averaging just 7.4 points per game in five appearances.