Hassan Whiteside is the Heat’s franchise player.
That’s why he was so unhappy after Miami’s 136-130 double-overtime loss to the Magic on Tuesday.
In the game’s first 46 minutes, he scored 27 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked four shots. In the final 12 minutes, he took just three shots.
Whiteside, via Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald:
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, via Ira Winderman of the South Florida SunSentinel:
Whiteside is Miami’s best player, and nobody is even close. (That Goran Dragic isn’t close is a key reason the Heat are 9-20.)
Credit the organization for embracing Whiteside and demanding more from him. This is the right approach. Ask him to deliver on his lofty ambitions.
This way, Whiteside will be more prepared to help if Miami lands a co-star this offseason.