Miami Heat centerpiece Hassan Whiteside started his season out with a bang, dropping a monster double-double of 26 points and 22 rebounds during the season-opener against the Orlando Magic.

The 28-year-old led the league in rebounds for the first time last season and while he can still aspire to even greater heights, Whiteside will hone into team-oriented goals before he mounts his own accolades.

“Well, personal goals don’t really matter if the team goals aren’t met,” Whiteside told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. “You can have all these big numbers and do a whole lot, but if your team loses, they aren’t going to give you any accolades.”

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The seven-footer realized the Heat breaking into the Eastern Conference playoffs will open up greater opportunities for his future, as winning often demands more from him and his teammates in each statistical and non-statistical category.

“As a team goal, I’m always going to want to go for that championship. I think this is a 50-plus-win team,” said Whiteside. “I’m not getting caught up in [our loss to Orlando]. The defending champs lost their first game, so I’m not getting caught up in us losing our first game. I believe in these guys and I know these guys believe in me, so we’re just going to keep rolling.”

Whiteside has yet to play since the season-opener with a bone bruise in his left knee, having missed three straight games since. The Heat have managed to keep the ship afloat at 2-2, hoping to make the best of an offseason of work after finishing last season in a furious 30-11 run.