Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside has had quite a journey on the way to the NBA. But he has also experienced somewhat of a roller coaster ride within the organization itself, so far this season.
Coming off of averaging 11.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game in 2014-15, Heat Nation had high hopes for the 25-year-old. It would be his first real year not only in Miami, but the league period, and there was every reason to believe he would continue to further develop into a superstar.
And he did.
In December, Whiteside recorded his first triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks. And he did it twice more, once in January and then in February, with 19, 17 and 11 and 10, 10 and 10, respectively.
He became an integral part of the team, basking in his role as a starter, going to work on both ends of the court night in and night out.
Sure he still had some kinks to work out, probably the biggest of which was his attitude. And he had worse nights, just like anyone else. But to say the Heat found a hidden gem in Whiteside would be the understatement of the century.
But then he got hurt, with an oblique injury forcing him to sit out six games.
And when he returned, he did so by coming off of the bench.
Many thought it would just be a temporary thing, as a way to ease him back into the game. But as time went by, it was clear that sixth man was slowly becoming Whiteside’s new role. A role that was well-received not just by fans, but seemingly by Whiteside as well.
Whiteside coming off of the bench ignited a fire in him, that Miami had not quite seen before. His energy was up, his numbers increased, and he began to add to the team in a different way.
Not everything changed overnight of course. The young buck still managed to get himself suspended for a game, after throwing an elbow against the San Antonio Spurs. But it seemed as though this time, Whiteside learned his lesson. Instead of trying to dismiss what happened, he recognized that such behavior has no place in a budding career such as his own. Whiteside was maturing before our very eyes.
In the beginning of this month, Whiteside scored a career-high 26 points and 14 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls.
He also just registered his fifth double-double in a row, versus the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. This guy is clearly on a roll.
So what happens now? Does he go back to starting for the Heat? Or will he continue to relish in his new role?
On the one hand, it seems rather odd not to reward a guy who is doing so well. Especially when for now, signs point to the organization wanting to keep him around, come the offseason. Whiteside was once a starter for the team after all, and is clearly more than healthy enough to return to starting action.
But with Whiteside doing so well coming off of the bench, there is also an argument to be made that that is where he should remain. At the very least, until the playoffs. Sometimes rocking the boat ends up doing more harm, than good.