Whiteside not letting little things become big setbacks
MIAMI — A year ago, a little thing became a big thing for Hassan Whiteside. This season, the Miami Heat big man has taken all the small steps to avoid a repeat.
“He put in a very good summer of work and you’re seeing the dividends pay off from that work. He’s in terrific shape,” coach Erik Spoelstra said after Tuesday’s practice at AmericanAirlines Arena, as the Heat continued preparations for Wednesday’s visit by the New York Knicks.
“His weight is at a really good place. And he can sustain a high level of play of a lot longer now.”
Whiteside sustained a knee bruise in last season’s opener that kept him out the following five games. He then missed another 13 games with the ailment before the turn of the calendar.
So when he was held out of Monday’s practice with groin pain, a red flag seemingly went up.
Then came Tuesday’s return to practice, with both Whiteside and Spoelstra downplaying the ailment.
“It was bothering me in the game. I was playing through it in the game,” Whiteside said of Saturday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets at the start of this four-game homestand. “But I knew we had a tough three games in four nights, so I really wanted to rest it because it was really sore. But it feels great now.”
Spoelstra said Monday’s absence was precautionary, nothing more.
“I think the biggest thing probably, five, 10 years ago, we wouldn’t have even mentioned it, because he practiced [Tuesday],” Spoelstra said. “He had two days between and probably wasn’t going to practice him, anyway, since he’s been logging a lot of time.”
Whiteside said it comes down to being smart with such nagging issues.
“I just rested it,” he said. “We had mostly a mental practice anyway, just resting and taking precaution.” Ellington out: The latest ruling on guard Wayne Ellington is that he remains a no-go due to ankle pain, already ruled out for Wednesday night.
“I feel good. I feel better every day,” the 3-point specialist said of the pain that has lingered since training camp. “So I guess you could say that’s progress. Hopefully the next game. That’s what I’m praying for. I do feel good, though.”
So day-to-day it remains, with Ellington initially expected to return to practice Tuesday.
“Yep, that’s exactly what it is: day to day,” he said. “I come in and I just kind of get the verdict and go from there.”
Winslow ready: Justise Winslow, by contrast, appears poised to make his regular-season debut, after missing the first three games due to groin pain.
“The whole thing is I just have to see how my body reacts,” he said. “I went through a full practice [Tuesday] and felt pretty good. So go home, get some rest, take care of my body and see muscles react to day back.” how my my first
Out of sight: Rather than start the clock on their twoway contracts, which limits them to 45 days on the Heat roster, undrafted forwards Duncan Robinson and Yante Maten practiced separately from the team Tuesday, with such work not counting as an “NBA day.”
The 45-day clock on two-way players began with this week’s opening of G League training camp . . .
James Johnson, who has been rehabilitating from May hernia surgery, practiced Tuesday but has been ruled out for Wednesday, as has Dion Waiters, who is working back from January ankle surgery.
Derrick Jones Jr. was limited Tuesday due to a foot issue, leaving him as questionable for Wednesday.