Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Team tells Whiteside knee brace is not optional apparel
MIAMI — Hassan Whiteside said Friday he is back to dragging an old friend alongside on the court, much to his consternation.
Among the stipulations by the Miami Heat upon the center’s late-December return from a 13-game absence with a bone bruise on his left knee was playing with a bulky knee brace.
Whiteside ditched the brace during one of his initial games back and then recently played a game without the brace, boasting of his explosion being back.
But the Heat have again told him it is not optional apparel.
“I’m trying to get it off,” he said. “I’m going back and forth with the doctors. That’s the toughest thing right now.”
He said the brace does not mean he is unable to compete in up-tempo games, such as Thursday night’s 131-113 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“I’m comfortable,” he said. “Even with the brace on, I’m comfortable just running up and down and bringing that thing along with me.”
Whiteside was limited to 18 minutes, 30 seconds in the loss, with backup center Bam Adebayo utilized for 29:31.
Whiteside spent time talking with coach Erik Spoelstra during Thursday’s brief practice.
“I look at it like he’s going to make the tough decisions,” Whiteside said of the short minutes. “I could have done stuff better. We all could have done things better. But that’s what film is for. That’s what we’re here for, to get better and that’s what you have practice for.”
Whiteside said his play against the Lakers’ pickand-roll, especially when Brook Lopez was on the floor, left him open to inspection.
“Just blitzing a little more,” he said of the aggressive trapping the Heat attempted to utilize.” Getting the ball out of, anytime they ran Brook Lopez, just blitz them a little more.”
Two down
Spoelstra said he does not expect either Wayne Ellington or Tyler Johnson to be back for Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, listing both guard on Friday as doubtful.
Ellington and Johnson both suffered bruised left quads early in Tuesday’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers and then sat out Thursday’s loss to the Lakers. Spoelstra shifted Josh
Richardson from small forward to shooting guard and Justise Winslow from power forward to small forward in Thursday’s starting lineup, with Kelly
Olynyk inserted at power forward, alongside Whiteside and point guard Goran Dragic.
“There’s a few things I was looking at and trying to keep some continuity in some other places,” Spoelstra said of Thursday’s lineup. “So we’ll see what direction we go [Saturday night] night.”
Jones’ time
Derrick Jones Jr. was in the Heat locker room following Thursday’s loss but has yet to formally rejoin the Heat on his twoway contract.
With only six NBA days left on his deal that limits such players’ NBA exposure, Jones also was held out of Friday’s practice and film session. That left his clock at six remaining days of NBA eligibility this season.
Spoelstra said he expected Jones to be with the team at Saturday’s shootaround unless there is a dramatic turnaround with both Johnson and Ellington.
“He is in Miami,” Spoelstra said of Jones, who has been thriving with the Heat’s developmentalleague affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. “Based on Tyler and Wayne’s availability, I anticipate he’ll be available.”