Miami Heat: Hassan Whiteside was finally having fun again

Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside came back to life in Game 4.

There’s been enough Hassan Whiteside slander over the past few weeks.

While the big man has certainly struggled in the Miami Heat’s playoff run, the criticism has gotten out of hand.

Between accusing the 28-year-old of only playing well for a maximum contract and begging for a trade, Heat Nation hasn’t been kind to their center as of late. And it’s undoubtedly taken a toll on Whiteside. Both on, and off the court.

The 7-footer may look tough, but after having a bumpy road to the league, he still has a chip on his shoulder. One that makes him sensitive to critique, ultimately affecting his success.

However, it was clear that going into Game 4, Whiteside had heard enough. And that especially with Joel Embiid coming back from injury, he was ready to prove the haters wrong. Which arguably, is exactly what he did.

The big man finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds, in 26 minutes of play on Saturday. He shot 6-of-9 from the field. And most importantly, had fun again.

The highlight of the game?

When he mocked Joel Embiid, of course.

(The alley-oop was nice too.)

It wasn’t his only connect with Josh Richardson on the afternoon, either. Whiteside got the crowd on their feet here as well, after a one-handed, monster dunk.

https://twitter.com/SONTSports/status/987788645867208704

But No. 21 also went to work on the other end of the court. Although he only had one block to his name today, it was on Ben Simmons. And it was nasty.

https://twitter.com/DefPenHoops/status/987790311043817472

That’s the Whiteside that Heat fans once knew and loved.

Did the center still make mistakes? Absolutely. There were times when he was slow getting up and down the floor. There were missed defensive stops. There were careless fouls.

But overall, Whiteside looked like a version of his old self again. The guy who averaged 17.0 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks a game last season. Who had 26 points and 22 rebounds in this year’s opener, against the Orlando Magic.

And if he could get going again today, after feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, imagine what some encouragement and support could do for him, moving forward.

Maybe it’s time to cut him some slack? To let him enjoy the game of basketball once more?

Next: Miami Heat: Father Prime gives it his all, but series goes to 3-1

The Miami Heat will try to overcome a 3-1 deficit on Tuesday, as Whiteside gets another chance to win back Heat Nation’s love.