The Miami Heat have once again pushed themselves in the playoff mix heading into the All-Star break with one of the top records in the Eastern Conference
However, there has been a noticeable trend with star big man Hassan Whiteside seeing his minutes on the floor continue to drop. It'something that the 28-year-old made clear when asked by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, admitting that it is a frustrating part of the situation.
“It’s tough; I mean it’s tough,” he said last week when asked how he has dealt with his average minutes per game dropping from 32.6 last year to 25.7 this season.
“I’m not going to lie. It’s frustrating. It’s nothing I can really do about it. Just keep a positive attitude. Coach is going to try to do what’s best for the team. He just wants to win. If I am playing 10 less minutes than I played last year, there isn’t much I can do about it.
Although Whiteside by no means aired these feelings on his own, he possesses those strong thoughts about how things have unfolded. He has continued to see his role diminish while the Heat has gone for extended roles with Kelly Olynyk and rookie Bam Adebayo.
At that same time, Whiteside has remained highly productive, averaging a double-double with 14.2 points and 12.0 rebounds along with 1.6 blocks per game. These numbers would put him at sixth in the league in rebounding while being eighth in blocks while taking the floor in just 25.7 minutes per contest.
There may not be much chatter from Whiteside about his role, but the further this goes along, it could become a bigger topic of discussion. He is one of the top big men in the league, playing essentially a reduced role on a nightly basis. Ultimately, it's something to keep an eye on as the Heat's season wears on.
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