IN THE LANE

RIGHT TIME: Heat center Hassan Whiteside certainly picked the right moment in Milwaukee to show how a dominant big man can still change an NBA game, with former Bucks center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among those in attendance. Asked by Milwaukee’s Journal Sentinel about the changing roles of big men in today’s NBA, Abdul-Jabbar (drafted by the Bucks in 1969 as Lew Alcindor) said, “When I played, the whole idea was to use the big guys close to the hoop and let the other guys shoot the three-point shots.” He then quipped, “I did make one three-point shot during my career. So maybe I could have done better at that.” Whiteside closed that game with 27 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots.

GROWING PAINS: After his Bucks imploded Wednesday against the Heat, coach Jason Kidd said such are the travails of the young team. “I think when you become 25 or in the 28 range you tend to think about the game,” Kidd said after Wednesday’s loss, the Bucks’ second to the Heat in four days. “We’re talking about kids. They’re thinking about putting the ball in the basket, and they all believe they can do it . ... When we’re selfish, we’re as bad as anybody in the league, and that’s what happens. There’s no coaching, there’s nothing that you can do but go through it and learn.”

LESSONS LEARNED: Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks credits his playing time with the Heat under Pat Riley as part of the learning curve that aided in his ascension in NBA management. Marks then went on to coaching and management stints with the San Antonio Spurs, with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich this past week praising Marks’ career arc. “Intelligence level is off the charts, sense of humor is off the charts, compassionate and empathetic guy, yet willing to make decisions,” Popovich told the Nets’ website. “When he would sit in our meetings, whether he was GMing or coaching, he was always someone whose presence exhibited gravitas. He was someone I listened to and go to for opinions.” Popovich also mentioned the C-word that has defined the approaches of the Heat and Spurs. “He knows what needs to be done, how to build a culture,” Popovich said.

EXAMPLE SET: If nothing else, the Heat’s revival from last season’s 30-11 start to 41-41 finish has provided hope for teams where hope otherwise might be lacking. Count the New York Knicks among that group. “Just looking at teams, for instance, the Miami Heat last year,” Knicks wing Tim Hardaway Jr., son of the former Heat guard, told New York’s Daily News, “they were in the same situation and they ended up having the best record after the All-Star break. We’re not there yet.”’

CANDID WORDS: If nothing else, at least former Heat forward Michael Beasley is blunt. Asked about his Knicks role in the wake of Hardaway’s return from the injured list, Beasley turned Beasley. “I’m used to it at this point,” he said. “Just doing what the team needs, doing what the team asks. If they don’t ask for anything, I guess I don’t do anything.”