Do you think Hassan Whiteside is going to have a comeback season?
Tachauer: Oh absolutely. And I’ll shout it from the rooftops for as long as I have to, until everyone gets on board with my mindset. Hassan Whiteside is done playing games. He’s sick of being underrated. He’s had enough of the doubters. He’s coming back better than ever, and Heat Nation needs to start getting used to the idea. NBA preseason may not always be a great indicator of what’s to come, but the Whiteside we’ve seen so far, is only the tip of iceberg when it comes to the player he’s going to grow into this season. He worked on himself this summer, both mentally and physically, and it shows. I’m all in for Whiteside’s comeback tour.
Ebrahim: This depends on what you categorize as a “comeback” season. Do I believe he’ll prove to be the player that Miami invested all that capital into? There’s a chance. But we haven’t heard him “doing it with blocks” in a long time. So do I believe he’ll play better than the last time we saw him? Really, how could he be worse? On a team with Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk, he’ll never get the type of playing time he wants, or the type of offense that flows through him. Adebayo is more athletic; Olynyk is the more skilled passer and shooter. With the way the offense stagnates when he’s featured, I can see him bouncing back, but not enough to validate his max deal. It also lands on his shoulders to re-invent the way he plays offense. If he’s able to become a better passer or space out the floor (like he’s been pining to do), then there’s a chance we could see him make the All-Star team. But from what I’ve seen from him since he got that contract, it doesn’t seem like that’ll be the case.