The Culture
This week in #HeatCulture, starts with a little bit of a throwback:
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1058737727460433921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
While Udonis Haslem did not play against the Hawks this time around, it was a funny moment to remember from last season.
On a slightly more serious #HeatCulture note this week, Bam Adebayo got slightly less than twice the minutes that Hassan Whiteside got in the game against the Hawks.
Spoelstra said after the game that he went with Adebayo in the second half to play small ball, because the lineup seemed to be working better agains the Hawks’ lineup, but it was a tough call.
Given the fact that Whiteside questioned Spoelstra’s decisions last season causing some issues, it was good to hear that while he might have not been happy with the decision, he knew it was up to Spoelstra.
Whiteside played just 3:41 in the second half as Spoelstra went with Adebayo down the stretch vs. Hawks. Whiteside said he felt like he could have helped on the court with rim protection and rebounding, but knows "it's coach's decision."
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) November 4, 2018
This may seem like a small, unimportant thing, but given the state of the Heat right now, it is important that there is a mutual respect between not only coaches and players, but players and players.
Whiteside giving that to Spoelstra not only saved drama, but allowed Adebayo to get more experience, even though the outcome was not what anyone had wanted.
At this point, still this early in the season, the Heat have to trust these lineup trial and errors.
While fans might not love it, we have yet to see this team completely healthy, still waiting for the return of Dion Waiters and James Johnson.
While the Heat are sitting at No. 8 in the Eastern Conference, it is way too early to call the season for them either way.
Here’s to a better week of play this time around though.