Has the time come for the Miami Heat to say goodbye to Hassan Whiteside?
I’ll be the first to admit, the start of 2018 has been a bit of a struggle for the likes of me, myself and I.
Due to the continued stress that college typically brings, as well as minor problems within my personal life, I have been forced to take a temporary hiatus from the game and league that I love dearly.
During that time span, the Miami Heat were also in a bit of an antsy situation, attempting to claw their way up the Eastern Conference playoff standings while also trying to dissect the mind of its $98 million dollar man, Hassan Whiteside.
Now I have been on the record numerous times stating that I don’t love what I’m seeing out of No. 21. I have criticized his lack of development in the post, as well as his inability to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. That’s really been the constant issue that has plagued him throughout his brief career. And it continues to manifest itself in ways that have left fans in absolute awe.
Not in a good way, either.
Whiteside brazenly continues to have the audacity to call out the coaching staff and organization that transformed his career as a professional athlete, and bank account virtually overnight.
So am I disappointed that he idiotically continues to make statements to the media that are not backed up by his play on the floor? Yes. Do I believe that he’s beyond the “fixing” point? Absolutely.
Time and time again, Whiteside doesn’t just shrink when the bright lights are on, he willingly backs away from it and has disengaged himself from his teammates on numerous occasions this season.
That is just unfathomable when the Heat have always been a world-class organization that prides itself on professionalism and a family oriented atmosphere. It manifested itself in 2006 when the franchise captured its first title and once again in 2010 when Dwyane Wade and president Pat Riley masterfully executed a master-plan of bringing LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Beach.
So why is it that with more talent than three of the previous four rosters, does this version of Miami end up a sixth-seeded first round exit, in just five games? Simple: its star big man did not want it enough.
For Whiteside to average just 5.2 points and 6.0 rebounds on 45 percent shooting from the field is Kwame Brown-esque. He looked as abysmal during the Heat’s first round matchup with the young Philadelphia 76ers as Roy Hibbert looked at times during the 2014 NBA Playoffs.
There’s simply no rationale for that, and no room for it either. Failing to land coveted free agent Gordon Hayward in the offseason, that elusive aura that surrounded the Heat organization since Riley came on board more than two decades ago is beginning to fade.
Is that blame all on the shoulders of Whiteside? Certainly not. In fact, he is by far the most talented player on a roster that is loaded with supplemental pieces with bright futures ahead of them.
It is his fault, however, that Miami didn’t have a chance to move on to the second round of the postseason. It is his fault that many of the bad habits that he displayed when initially entering the NBA in 2010, still linger.
As a fan of his, it pained me deeply to accept these realities as I watched the Heat’s season come to an end in Philadelphia.
Approaching 29, it’s time for the once-coveted big man to cut ties and ship his talents elsewhere.
Next: What does Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington's future hold?
If only for his sake, as hopefully re-motivation will be the key.