Erik Spoelstra Articles - Page 35

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra praised the growth of center Hassan Whiteside, confirming he will head into the 2018-19 season as the team’s starting center, according to the Five Reasons Sports Network. Spoelstra called Whiteside a key player in Miami’s equation, one he intends to let flourish throughout the course of the season. “I’m […]

After signing a max contract in 2016 to remain with the Miami Heat, the Hassan Whiteside experiment has fully reached its breaking point only two years later. All that is left is for the handshake and tears — or, at least that’s what many are speculating entering the season. Despite averaging a double-double of 10.5 […]

Ray-Ray, Sugar Ray, Jesus Shuttlesworth. These were just a few of the monikers given to Ray Allen during his playing days. According to Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who had Allen at his disposal for two seasons between 2012 and 2014, “Everyday Ray” was another nickname they had for the sharpshooter. The 47-year-old coach […]

Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside had a four-hour meeting with president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra after a disappointing season where he spent time in and out of the starting lineup after being hampered by multiple injuries. The 7-footer was irate at the end of the postseason after he was clearly bumped out […]

This past season ended on a real sour note for Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside. The big man struggled in the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, and he saw his minutes dwindle due to his ineffectiveness. That resulted in Whiteside complaining about his role with the team, which in turn stirred up questions about his […]

At the end of last season, it appeared that the relationship between Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat might be coming to the end. Whiteside spoke out a few times about lack of playing time and how frustrated he was with the Heat organization. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was at summer league and tried to put […]

The tension between Erik Spoelstra and Hassan Whiteside has been a recurring story surrounding the Miami Heat. Although many assume that the relationship is beyond repair, Spoelstra downplayed some of those rumors. Spoelstra told Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post: “We’ve gotten together for lunch, in constant contact on the phone and in texts. […]

It’s fair to say that it was during his stint with the Miami Heat that LeBron James started to become the complete player that he is today. Prior to his arrival in South Beach, James never won an NBA title. With the Heat, he took home two rings. As someone who has coached James for […]

Now that the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office has delivered by getting LeBron James, the ball is now in head coach Luke Walton’s court, as he is tasked of steering the team to a significant measure of success. Just making the playoffs won’t cut it for the Lakers’ fanbase. If there’s anything that James’ past […]

When the Miami Heat signed Dion Waiters to a four-year contract last year, they expected him to play a significant role on the team for the duration of his deal with the team. So far though, that hasn’t quite been the case as he dealt with an ankle injury for most of the 2017-18 NBA […]

Despite the imminent rumors regarding star center Hassan Whiteside’s displeasure with his role within the team, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra emphasized the organization’s commitment to its $98 million investment, noting matters would be resolved. “This is one of those periods that we know how to manage and help players get through,” Spoelstra said […]

The Miami Heat had a disappointing end to their 2017-18 season, as they struck out in the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, who convincingly won the series, four games to one. The Heat’s early exit has also put big man Hassan Whiteside in a bad light. Whiteside was simply ineffective against […]

The Miami Heat face a gigantic decision to make this offseason, not only in frame, but in importance — as center Hassan Whiteside’s reported unhappiness with the way he’s been deployed this season could spell future nightmares for an organization hopeful to a repeat trip to the postseason. Whiteside seemed destined for a breakout season, […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will have to address plenty of issues going into the offseason — among them, the potential retirement of his star shooting guard, Dwyane Wade. The man at the helm admitted he’s yet to have this conversation with the man that helped him earn his two championship rings in 2012 […]

The disarray between Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and star center Hassan Whiteside has been a recurring theme throughout the season, with the latter sustaining a myriad of injuries and forced to make the necessary adjustments to find himself back in the rotation. Spoelstra had to tinker with his lineup constantly, as his team was […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra sung plenty of praise for his former assistant, David Fizdale, who is among the top candidates for a head coach job during the offseason. Having worked alongside him for several years, including taking on the gigantic task of assembling The Big Three in South Beach, Spoelstra lauded his former sidekick, […]

Following Saturday night’s 110-109 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside was fined an undisclosed amount of money for going on an explative-filled rant. According to most reports, he was upset about his playing time (or the lack thereof). Now, with a bit of time to cool off, the former […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was at the helm during LeBron James’ stint with the team when he won his first and second ring. So it’s not really a surprise that Spoelstra knows King James’ every tendency on offense. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Heat faced against each other Tuesday night at the American […]

The Miami Heat have been well-coached since the hiring of head coach Erik Spoelstra back in 2008. He’s coached his team to a 39-34 record this season this season, and is on pace to have his seventh winning season in just under 10 years of experience. On Sunday afternoon, however, the Miami Heat are set […]

The Miami Heat bowed down to the Portland Trail Blazers, who won their league-best 10th straight game last night with a convincing 115-99 win at home. The Heat were short-handed without starting center Hassan Whiteside and team icon Dwyane Wade, both nursing injuries from the weekend. Yet this didn’t make Damian Lillard’s play any less […]

The Miami Heat have been a fortunate team this year. With no star players, the Heat somehow managed to place themselves in the postseason picture in the Eastern Conference. From the championship team that won back to back NBA championships in 2012 and 2013, the Heat are now comprised of young players and good role […]

The Miami Heat are currently on the verge of making the postseason for the first time since 2016. After trading for their former franchise superstar Dwyane Wade on February 8, the Heat made all of the moves necessary to prepare themselves for what’s to come in the playoffs. The Heat are ranked seventh in the […]

Dwyane Wade has managed to make an impact in this new-look Miami Heat team despite coming off the bench. His minutes frequency has been picking up ever since making a step back two-pointer to bury the Philadelphia 76ers and make the building erupt with his old-school antics. Following that 27-point effort he’s put a couple […]

Dwyane Wade is one of the most popular players in the NBA. The three-time NBA champion was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2003 and has had a successful career since. Wade is commonly known as the best Heat to ever play. Rightfully so, Wade led the Heat to their first title in 2006 and […]

There is going to be a missed call in just about every basketball game. It’s four quarters of fast-paced action, and one wrong angle referees have on a play, which is not their fault on certain occasions, one would-be foul or violation is likely to be left uncalled or incorrectly whistled. Having said that, you […]

On Wednesday, another tragic mass shooting occurred, this time at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. While an exact number of fatalities is still unavailable, authorities have estimated that at least 17 lives in the school have been lost in the shooting. Video of the horrific incident was captured almost instantaneously after it happened, […]

Erik Spoelstra has been elated with his reunion with longtime franchise star Dwyane Wade, but he is not thinking about putting him back in his past role just yet. Wade spent 13 NBA seasons as the face of the Miami Heat, his iconic No. 3 in murals across South Beach and plastered around the home […]

Dwayne Wade is perhaps known as the most famous member of the Miami Heat. After being drafted by the Heat in 2003, Wade led the franchise to it’s first title in 2006, capturing the series’ Finals MVP award. He won two more championships with his best friend LeBron James in 2012 and 2013. However, when […]

There were some complaints through social media about the Miami Heat not having a single player selected to the 2018 NBA All-Star game. Some believed it should have been Hassan Whiteside, while others say Goran Dragic was more deserving of the accolade. But Rick Carlisle, the Dallas Mavericks’ head coach and Head of the NBA […]

The tension between the referees and NBA players have reached a breaking point in this season. Coaches, players, and league executives have noticed the drama between the two parties and are desperately trying to formulate a solution to the toxic situation. Meanwhile, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra believes that some of this tension is because […]

The Miami Heat have been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA. They are currently 27-21, ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference. They are even two games behind the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers. Ever since LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh left the Heat, the team has never been the same. What used […]

The Miami Heat suffered a huge blow on Monday as Tyler Johnson went down with an ankle injury in the third quarter. He was not able to leave the court on his own and had to be taken off in a wheelchair which was not a good sign at all for the South Beach faithful. […]

Since returning from a left knee injury, Hassan Whiteside has played in 10 games for the Miami Heat. The starting center is yet to play 30 minutes or more in any of those 10 contests. He averages 24 minutes per game in this span, contributing 12.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, one assist, and two blocks on […]

Erik Spoelstra’s Miami Heat has been the hottest team in the NBA lately. They have won seven straight games, and are now fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Specifically, they are 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 3rd spot. The Heat are defying all of the odds set against them this season, […]

Following their road win on Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors, the Miami Heat are now one of the hottest team in the league as they have won five straight games, including back-to-back one-point victories. While Josh Richardson and Wayne Ellington are credited for knocking down the game-winners versus the Utah Jazz and Raptors, respectively, Erik […]

The Miami Heat have done a good job with their season thus far, and mainstays Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson appear to be big reasons why. The Heat sit at fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 21-17 record, and Miami’s head coach in Erik Spoelstra recently made a big push to get […]

Ahead of returning to American Airlines Center, his first NBA home, New York Knicks forward Michael Beasley put his former coach with the Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, on blast in a very subtle way. Beasley expressed certain frustrations he had while with the Heat, but quickly noted that he’s not trying to create any heat (no […]

With the New York Knicks facing the Miami Heat on Friday, Michael Beasley couldn’t help but recall his three stints with the South Beach team during his early days in the NBA. After getting selected second overall in the 2008 draft, the Kansas product spent two seasons with the Heat before getting traded to the […]

Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside has been wearing a protective knee brace on his troublesome left knee since returning from a 13-game absence. However, he shed his knee brace early in the Heat’s game against the Orlando Magic. That move did not please Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who has made it clear that […]