Only a year after falling a tiebreaker short of the postseason, Hassan Whiteside finds himself in a quick exit in the first round after taking a 104-91 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.
What's been even more frustrating for Whiteside has been his lack of playing time, being a non-factor despite holding the title of starting center for the team.
The 7-footer recently voiced his frustration and even revealed he was blindsided by a third-quarter benching that would keep him out of action for the rest of the game.
“He didn't tell me nothing,” Whiteside said of his coach Erik Spoelstra, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Asked if he knew when he was supposed to re-enter the game, Whiteside was just as shocked as reporters.
“I thought I was going to go back in, but I didn't,” he said.
Spoelstra opted to combat fire with fire, going for a spread-out lineup with Kelly Olynyk; a much-improved defender at center, while Whiteside watched from the sidelines.
Whiteside has encountered plenty of issues with the organization in the midst of several injuries this season, and plans to talk things over with Spoelstra and president Pat Riley before departing for his offseason.
“It's definitely something you can discuss with those guys,” said Whiteside, who scored only two points and grabbed five rebounds in 10 minutes of action against the Sixers.
Backup rookie Bam Adebayo logged 16 minutes of floor time, while the newly-signed Olynyk led the team in points and minutes, dropping a team-high 18 points along with eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a blocked shot over 37 minutes.
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