Season Rundown:
Simply put, Rodney McGruder has embodied what it means to be a Miami HEAT player. After working his tail off during training camp to make the squad, McGruder took his opportunity and ran with it. In fact, the 25-year-old started 65 games this past season, which was the fifth-most for a rookie in franchise history. While that in it of itself was impressive, what he did in those 65 starts was quite fun to watch.
Regardless if Miami was up 10 or down 10, McGruder gave maximum effort and fought tooth and nail for nearly every loose ball. He also defended the opposition’s best offensive player, whether it was LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony or Paul George.
On the offensive end, McGruder expanded his game as the season wore on and began to attack off the dribble for runners or nifty passes to his teammates. That said, he was also a solid spot-up shooter all year long (35.2 percent on catch-and-shoot treys).
Given how hard McGruder works at his craft, you should expect him to look even better next season.
They Said It (Quote):
“I would have never imagined things playing out the way they did. You know, starting as many games as I did or even being a starter, but I would say I just tried to prepare myself for whatever was possible. Just train, focus, listen, pay attention to details, so if it ever needed to happen, I was ready.” – McGruder on his rookie campaign
Notable Game Highlight: