How Hassan Whiteside’s comments were a Miami Heat wake-up call

For the Culture

With his slick back hair, glistening championship adornments and no-nonsense attitude, Heat president Pat Riley effortlessly fills Miami’s Godfather role. Evidenced by past run-ins with LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal, Riley doesn’t take well to disrespect.

Subsequently, this hard-nosed mantra trickles down, through coaches and players alike.

Expecting an all-in culture, Whiteside’s remarks sit in contrast to anything Miami’s dealt with since the glossy Heatles era. The roster’s collective youth pales in comparison to Riley’s battle-tested history. As such, Heat players tend to fall in line with their organizational expectations.

But Whiteside bucked that trend. As a max contract player, he expects max contract time.

Players get signed to bogus deals all the time (see: Chandler Parsons) but Whiteside’s drastic shift in playing time, down to 25.6 minutes per game from 32.6 in 2017 is troubling.

Whiteside’s comments then, are a breath of fresh air in an organization that usually sees problems swept under the rug before they hit national media. Udonis Haslem has done a fantastic job of bridging the gap between Heat players and coaches/management, but Whiteside’s attitude is keeping Miami in check.

Coaches and presidents can be wrong just as players can.  If coaches were never wrong, Earl Watson, Jason Kidd and David Fizdale would still have their jobs.

That’s not to say Whiteside or Spoelstra were right in their judgement. If you have a seven-foot, shot blocking madman, it might a good idea to play him.

Still, if there was ever any doubt about Whiteside’s commitment and effort (which there was) Miami’s giant, four-year offering should have been reconsidered.

Regardless, the fact that Whiteside spoke up at all is better than his general ambivalence. Whiteside’s comments signify he still cares about the organization.

When office conversations with Spoelstra and Riley no longer cut it, taking matters into his own hands with the media could result in the mediation Whiteside was looking for.