What Is Hassan Whiteside Worth To The Miami Heat?

The fallout of the Miami Heat’s exciting come from behind win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night has been divisive. While all Heat fans are happy with the win that ended a three game losing streak, they’ve also found themselves on opposite sides over Hassan Whiteside, and his importance/lack thereof to Miami’s future.

The fuse was lit after last Monday’s loss to the Washington Wizards, as Whiteside didn’t play in the last sixteen minutes of the game because the Wizards went small and had Jared Dudley playing center for long stretches. The Heat ended up losing and Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra became a scapegoat because he didn’t put Whiteside back in the game. Of course, you’d have to ignore the fact that the lineup of Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Gerald Green, Justise Winslow, and Chris Bosh that ended that Wizards game was the same one that ended the win against the Oklahoma City Thunder two games prior, as well as ignore the fact that lineup rallied to tie the Wizards game at 103 before Bradley Beal stripped Wade and scored on the other end. It’s a lineup that Spoelstra seems to be going to at the end of games. Sunday’s game saw a variation of it, with Luol Deng playing in Winslow’s spot.

But some Heat fans want to play the result that supports their end of the argument – Heat win/Whiteside would have held them back; Heat lose/Spoelstra should be fired for not playing Whiteside. The long view of this issue is Whiteside’s pending free agency, as multiple teams will be able to make big contract offers to him, while the Heat won’t have the luxury of having his Bird Rights to offer more money/years to his deal.

Where do I stand? Somewhere in the middle.

The main problem is that the Heat have a mixture of players that don’t fit perfectly together. While they look good on paper, a GM probably isn’t activity putting this roster together if they can help it, and with Bosh and Dragic already locked up to long-term deals, and Wade assured to come back, that leaves Whiteside as the possible odd man out if the price isn’t right.

Building a lineup around Whiteside can be tricky for Spoelstra, as he can’t surround him with shooters, similar to the Orlando Magic during their Finals run with Dwight Howard. The Heat lack those shooters on this season’s roster, not to mention that Howard is a much better passer and far more complete post player than Whiteside. The Heat can’t run plays for him because he’s not someone that passes the ball – he has five total assists – and turns the ball over two times a game. He’s a 50% free throw shooter, so Hack-Hassan is still a concern in close games down the stretch.

Whiteside’s game is a dial-up modem in a 4G age, as centers who aren’t a threat outside of seven feet from the basket are becoming obsolete. Once you take away lobs and dunks, there’s not a whole lot to admire on the offensive end of the floor. According to ESPN’s Tom Haberstorh and Synergy Sports, Whiteside ranks second to last in post-up efficiency of all qualified players.

Of course, that isn’t why the Heat value Whiteside, as what he brings on defense is his calling card. His 4.1 blocks per game leads the league, and the player he covers shoots 9.7 less than their season average when he’s defending them inside of six feet. He’s a freak of nature when it comes to hunting block opportunities.

However the oddity is that the Heat’s defense is actually better with him off the court by a wide margin, as the offensive rating of the Heat’s opponents is 11.7 less when Whiteside is on the bench.  Sure that’s a different dynamic, as it matters what everyone is doing on the court. But the common thread is that going smaller creates more activity on defense, which isn’t something Whiteside excels in since he is hunting for those blocks and not trying to stray to far from the basket. By dragging him away from the basket, whether it’s by having a big that can shoot from outside, or having his man set high screens, it actually renders Whiteside’s strengths useless.

At this point, is it fair to say that with the way Whiteside’s game and Heat roster are currently constructed, is he simply just a specialist? If so, then what is his value? That’s the multi-million dollar question that Pat Riley has to answer this summer. The Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson got $16.4 million a year because he’s

a friend of LeBron James

an excellent rebounder and good defender, but even that contract seems incredibly generous. But that deal is probably the bar for Whiteside’s agent to shoot for.

Can he get Thompson money in a summer that will see the cap spike upward to close to $90 million? Sure. Are the Heat a team that should pay him that amount? Debatable. Miami still is looking to add another star player, while addressing Wade’s free agency, and filling out a roster that sees Tyler Johnson and Gerald Green becoming free agents. Using any money that could have gone to Whiteside elsewhere could benefit the Heat, as they can slide Bosh back to center and re-energize their small ball tendencies.

There’s also the matter of his maturity, as he may or may not be voicing his displeasure on social media with his current role on the team, as well as possibly not being overly excited during the final moments of a Miami win, depending on your viewpoint.

Yet giving up players that can have an impact on the game is also something that Riley would loathe to do, especially without getting something back for him. Trading him isn’t going to be an easy option, as the team acquiring Whiteside won’t have control to keep him this summer. The Heat would have to give up another asset under team control (Winslow, Josh Richardson) or a future first rounder (they don’t have one to trade until 2021) to pair with him. The other option would be to take back a bad contract a team would rather not have on their books (Carmelo Anthony?), thus becoming players in free agency, with or without Whiteside coming back. Problem is that Miami would like to have all their cap space available to make a run at a star player (Kevin Durant? Al Horford?) that tying up salary would derail that plan.

While it is still mid-December and the Heat have more important things to deal with the remainder of the season – working the kinks on offense; making the playoffs – they still have an entire season to further evaluate this project. Finding a lineup that plays to Whiteside’s strengths, while hiding his weaknesses, will go a long way in deciding his long-term fate with the Heat.