The Miami Heat are sticking to their primary pace and space offense despite the roster overhaul.
That offense works best spacing the floor and moving the ball around the perimeter.
Enter Hassan Whiteside, who will be one of the Heat's featured players, but he doesn't pass very much.
Whiteside's assist rate is just 1.9 percent, which shows the percentage of field goals he is responsible for when playing.
The Heat will need him to improve his passing this season to continue scoring at a high enough rate to compete, and that is one of the skills he has been working on this summer.
Whiteside spoke with the Miami Herald about the opportunity to be more than just a scoring big man.
If guys are open I’m going to give it to them. I think it’s really more so play-making and about my usage rate, how many times I touch the ball in that situation. So, I should have a lot more assists.
I’m a great passer. I just have to show you all. Most of the time [last season] I was just the guy dunking the ball. I was giving people assists instead of giving out assists.
Currently, Whiteside has the confidence he can expand passing into his game, and he'll get plenty of chances to prove it.
Coach Erik Spoelstra wants Whiteside to anticipate when doubles are coming and find open shooters.
Now we’re trying to get him in spots where he can see the defense out in front of him and be aware of when help defense may come. I think that’s his next evolution. It’s not just who you are dealing with, but the next defender. And we’ve been working at that. He knows it’s something he has to work on.
This will challenge the Heat big man to resist the temptation of taking bad shots in situations where he is heavily covered defensively, to become an instinctive willing passer.
Whiteside should get many touches in the offense this season, and Spoelstra is confident he'll get his teammates the ball.
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