Hassan Whiteside saw a relatively short stint against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, playing only 16 minutes, mustering only three points, six rebounds, and a block in limited playing time.

The Miami Heat were already short a starter with the absence of Dion Waiters, who missed a second straight game due to the birth of his daughter.

Whiteside had by far his worst outing of the season, going 1-of-9 from the field, stifled by a Warriors chimera defense that saw bodies around the North Carolina native from all sides.

Kevin Durant, Hassan Whiteside
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The 7-footer's frustrations weren't any more evident than when he was pulled with 10:47 left in the third quarter after being rejected twice by the lanky presence of Kevin Durant. Whiteside went on to complain to the officials, allowing the not-so-nimble-footed Zaza Pachulia to coast in for a layup at the other end.

Whiteside missed the rest of the game with what head coach Erik Spoelstra referred to as a “coach's decision,” but all of Miami's three captains discussed his situation with reporters.

“Sometimes you just don't have it,” point guard Goran Dragic said, according to the Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. “[Whiteside] admitted, ‘Hey guys, I let you down.' Look, we're here to help him. He's on our team. He's our player. We love him and this is the only thing that matters.”

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The fourth-year starter was frustrated with Spoelstra's move and showed it in his post-game comments.

“I guess [Spoelstra] thought it was better if I didn't come back in,” Whiteside said. “I don't know. I really don't know.”

Hassan Whiteside
John Hefti/USA TODAY Sports

Yet the Heat's leadership stepped in to make this a teaching moment for the young cornerstone.

“Minutes is earned, man. Minutes is earned on this team,” forward James Johnson said. “We had our talk as we should as a team, and as the three captains that we are. And he gets it. I know he gets it.”

“He's the most athletic guy I know. He's the heart of our team and he's also the best big man in the league to me.”

The Heat captains have used a mix of tough love and camaraderie to reel in their big man, knowing they'll need his help to complete this early-season six-game road trip, which will make its next stop against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.