All U Can Heat
Fansided

Miami Heat 1-on-1: Is 2017-18 indicative of Hassan Whiteside’s future?

By Jack Leniart

MIAMI, FL - APRIL 3: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Miami Heat speaks to the media after the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 3, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 3: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Miami Heat speaks to the media after the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 3, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next
MIAMI, FL – APRIL 3: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Miami Heat speaks to the media after the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 3, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – APRIL 3: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Miami Heat speaks to the media after the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 3, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What does Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside’s future look like?

Let’s start things off by talking a little bit about how you feel Hassan Whiteside’s 2017-18 campaign went…

Jack Leniart (@Leniart_ND): In year two of his max contract, Hassan Whiteside had a dip in production. Part of that can be attributed to a minor knee injury early in the season and a decrease in minutes, but Whiteside did not play to his full potential when he was on the court.

As you might expect with his decreased minutes, Whiteside averaged fewer points, rebounds and blocks. His overall field goal percentage was slightly lower than last season despite taking less shots.

Whiteside has been trending in the wrong direction, and his last season did not inspire any hope that he can return to the level of play that earned him his max contract.

Allana Tachauer (@AllanaTachauer): As big of a Whiteside supporter as I am, there’s no getting around that he had a rocky run last season. And it wasn’t just on the court either. He acted out to the media too, which understandably didn’t sit well with fans.

However, I don’t think his 2017-18 campaign would have played out in the same way had he not gotten injured. His knee problem not only kept him out of the game, which obviously affected his overall production, but then limited him once he was finally able to come back because of minutes restrictions. This all clearly caused Whiteside to become frustrated, and in turn led to him lashing out against the coaching staff etc.

Was it right? No. He certainly should have handled the entire situation differently. But everyone makes mistakes. And hindsight is 20-20. Besides, if you look at the raw numbers, his year wasn’t as bad as a lot of people made it out to be.

Home/Heat News