The Miami Heat could have clinched a playoff berth with a win on Saturday, but instead they suffered a disappointing 110-109 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets. But the loss was just the beginning of their problems.
Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who played 19 minutes in his second game back from a hip flexor injury, complained about his lack of playing time after the game, calling his minutes restriction "b---s---." He also hinted that he might want to leave the Heat. From the Miami Herald:
Asked how tough it is to watch from the bench when the opponent goes small, Whiteside said: "It's annoying. We shouldn't. Why are we matching up? We've got one of the best centers in the league. Why are we matching up?
"A lot of teams don't have a good center. They are going to use their strengths. It's bull [expletive]. It's really bull [expletive], man. There are a lot of teams that can use a center. [Expletive]. That's one of them. That's bull [expletive]."
Asked if he tried to discuss it with one of the coaches during the game, Whiteside said: "I don't know if it's because I'm on a minutes restriction. The minutes have been like that all year. It's really frustrating. It's been frustrating. It's tough. I don't know, man. It's crazy. I don't understand it."
Asked if this has made him question his future with the Heat, Whiteside said: "I don't know. Maybe."
The matchups to which Whiteside is referring involve the Nets going small in the fourth quarter and overtime periods and not playing a traditional center. With nobody playing for the Nets taller than 6-foot-9, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra elected to go small as well, leaving Whiteside on the bench. Clearly Whiteside did not agree with the strategy.
On Sunday, the Heat fined Whiteside an undisclosed amount for conduct detrimental to the team. The team says that Whiteside will not be suspended.
... Heat not disclosing amount of Whiteside fine. So no suspension for Whiteside for his rant last night, merely a fine. No further comment from team.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) April 1, 2018
Injuries have limited Whiteside to 49 games this season, while his minutes have dropped from 32.6 per game last year to 25.7 per game this year, and he's often found himself on the bench for the entire fourth quarter.
The 7-footer signed a four-year, $92 million contract with Miami before the 2016-17 season, with a player option for 2019-20. So if Whiteside truly wants out of Miami soon, he would have to be traded. His other option is to play next season for the Heat and decline his $27 million player option for the following year, but it's hard to imagine he'd be able to secure more than that in the free agent market.
Whiteside, who's averaging 14.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks this season, doesn't match the optics of a modern NBA center given his lack of speed, inability to switch on the perimeter and limited shooting range, which is probably why Spoelstra finds it difficult to play him at times. The Heat also have two much more modern centers on the roster -- a stretch-five in Kelly Olynyk and an athletic rim-runner in Bam Adebayo -- which makes it much easier to leave Whiteside on the bench for long stretches.
Whiteside may just be letting off some steam, but it's been clear for a while that he doesn't exactly fit with the rest of the Heat's roster. It will be interesting to see how both parties proceed this offseason.
