Player exit review: Hassan Whiteside continues to grow
By Cory Sanning
Where do we go from here?
It’s simple: we move forward.
Whiteside will remain under contract with the Heat until the summer following the 2019-2020 season, barring an unexpected trade or release.
He’ll be earning the NBA’s maximum salary, living in Miami, and have all the access to Spoelstra and Pat Riley that he desires.
What else can an aspiring big man ask for?
His post moves (particularly that jump hook) could still definitely use some work, and he hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface of his offensive potential.
The 27-year-old has all the tools available to him, and if I were Whiteside, I would personally reach out to the likes of Karrem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, or Tim Duncan, legends who made a living off of scoring in the post.
Whiteside has nowhere to go but up. He’s the most feared shot-blocker in the league and arguably the best rebounder in all of basketball.
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It would be a travesty to even think of moving this man at this point, and it’s safe to assume that Riley realizes that. Expect to see Whiteside blocking shots, and working on that jump hook as a member of the Heat for quite some time.