The Miami Heat took an L last night in their 2017-18 season opener against the Orlando Magic, and the All U Can Heat staff are here to talk about it.
Hassan Whiteside made a three tonight. Discuss.
Allana Tachauer (@AllanaTachauer): Let’s just say that I’ve never loved Whiteside more, than in that moment. It was the most casual 3-point attempt I’ve ever seen, and the fact that it actually went in, made it so much better. I’m sure the majority of Heat Nation would disagree with me here, but I’d be fine with the big man trying to add 3-point shooting to his arsenal. I mean, this entire team is comprised of guys who don’t fit any one mold. So why not?
Ivan Mora (@moraivan): I was shocked and amused. I know it won’t ever become a part of his arsenal, but to see a Whiteside 3 sporadically, is something I can always get on board with.
Chase Eyrich (@Ceyrich): This is something we saw him working on in the summer so I’m not that surprised that we saw it in the first game. Do I think it’s something that we will see every game? Probably not. A goal of Whiteside’s this offseason was to make himself more versatile. Adding a 3-point shot to his game would do just that. It wouldn’t be ridiculous to think that there’s some pressure on Whiteside as well. We all know president Pat Riley does not settle. He expects more out of his players every year. With the NBA moving to a small-ball/combo-guard league, Whiteside has to figure out how he fits into that.
Rob Slater (@RobSlater10): If Whiteside is going to keep shooting 3’s, I’ll be forced to take Joel Embiid’s side in their Twitter beef. I’ve thought about just why Whiteside would choose to add this to his game and I still can’t come up with a concrete answer. There is merit to adding a Tim Duncan-like 15-foot jumper to keep defenders honest and make them guard out on the perimeter, but as for a 3-point shot, I just don’t see the need for it. The feeling is that defenders will bait him into the wide-open 3 and he won’t be able to resist.