“Pest.” There is no higher praise in the Miami Heat organization than being referred to as an annoying, relentless organism that threatens humanity. Rodney McGruder earned, and lived, that title in an impressive rookie campaign.
McGruder has been called pest, scavenger, pit bull (as Wayne Ellington coined) and maybe most important—the heart and soul of the Miami Heat, as Dion Waiters said in late February.
Watching the undrafted rookie emerge from the Sioux Falls Skyforce to earning the 15th and final roster spot on the Heat this year and becoming a 35+ minute player during a 30-11 turnaround, it’s hard not to be impressed by what he was able to accomplish this season.