There’s no denying the fact that the Miami Heat and center Hassan Whiteside are not in good terms. Last season left a bitter taste in the mounts of both sides, as Whiteside resented the way he was being used on the court by head coach Erik Spoelstra. Conversely, the Heat did not seem to like Whiteside’s season-long display of dissatisfaction.
Having said all of that, Heat President Pat Riley remain faithful of the big man. In a teleconference with the media on Friday, Riley reiterated his optimism that Whiteside will soon get it together (h/t Shandel Richardson, South Florida Sun Sentinel)
“I’m convinced and I’m confident that if he just comes and plays every night as hard as he can play and do what does he does best,” Riley said. “… If he does it with a pure heart and not with a mixed-up mind about, ‘I need more of this or that,’ I think he’ll have a great year.”
As the highest-paid player on a team that is one of the most cap-crunched this year, Whiteside stands as a big frustrating figure for Miami. While he has the talent and the physical attributes to excel in the NBA, his attitude oftentimes becomes an obstacle for him to help Miami. Last season, Whiteside averaged 14.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
The 29-year-old center’s frustration can also be traced back to the decrease of his playing time last season, as Spoelstra relied more on Kelly Olynyk and youngster Bam Adebayo to man the five position on the floor. From 32.6 minutes of action per game in 2016-17, Whiteside enjoyed just 25.3 minutes per contest the following season.
The Heat reportedly tried to trade Hassan Whiteside to get cap relief, but those were later refuted by Riley.
Whiteside can become a free agent next summer if he declines to pick up his player option for the 2019-20 season.
Follow Us
Subscribe