Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside is not happy with coach Erik Spoelstra’s strategy to pull him out of the game when other teams play small ball. Over the weekend, after he sat for the final 15 minutes of Miami’s loss to Brooklyn, Whiteside vented to the media.
“Man, it’s annoying,” Whiteside said. “Why we matching up? We got one of the best centers in the league. Why we matching up? A lot of teams don’t have a good center. They’re going to use their strength.
“It’s bull—. It’s really bull—, man. There’s a lot of teams that could use a center. S—. That’s bull—.”
Asked if he was questioning his future with the team, Whiteside said, “maybe.”
Heat Respond
The Heat fined Whiteside, and Erik Spoelstra said it was a poorly timed and thought-out comment, but the coach added, “we’re here to help Hassan,” according to the Miami Herald.
Now that Whiteside has had some time to reflect, it sounds like he has simmered down.
“I was just frustrated, man,” Whiteside said, adding that the loss bothered him, via the SunSentinal. “I really wanted to get that game…could have handled it different. But I got so caught up in wanting to get that win. I get real competitive. I really want to be out there. But I just trust coach’s decision.”
Playoff Race
The Heat currently hold the East’s No. 7 seed, at 41-36. However, they have the same record as the eight seed, Milwaukee, and their fate will depend on their performance in the final five games of the season.
Despite their lack of a traditional superstar, the Heat have outperformed expectations, which is a credit to Spoelstra.
Whiteside is averaging 14.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 0.8 steals per game. He is one of the best defensive centers in the league. The 7-foot former second-round pick is 28 years old. He has a player option in 2019. Whiteside is earning $24 million this season.
