Miami Heat Roundtable: Is it time for fans to hit the panic button?

And lastly, do you actually see Bam Adebayo phasing out Hassan Whiteside soon?

Nurse: Assuming soon means this season, I would say no. Hassan Whiteside has to be on the floor to build trade value for this season or next. Bam Adebayo is still raw, undersized for some, and a little foul prone. He can wait.

Campbell: Yes. It all depends on Adebayo though, and how much better he gets with time. He still isn’t a big man that can create his own shot. If he can eventually be that however, Whiteside’s days may be numbered. The only problem is: who would want him and that expensive contract? That would be the only reason why he stays in Miami, if he does indeed get phased out.

Rahming: Oh absolutely. We already watched this happen last year, but it was somewhat cloak and dagger with Whiteside missing 28 games due to injury. Each time he would return, head coach Erik Spoelstra would say they’re working on integrating him back into the lineup, although against the Nets late in the season, it was evident that wasn’t the whole truth. In his previous four games, Whiteside didn’t crack the 25-minute mark once. Spoelstra has been unabashedly giving Adebayo extra minutes and taking them directly from Whiteside. Even with limited playing time, he’s still been getting his numbers, so I’m sure they’d love to keep him, but he costs too much money to be playing him 20 minutes a game. There has to be another center out there on a value contract that can come off the bench behind Adebayo.

It’s only up from here… right?