Whiteside still a no-go for Heat training camp

BOCA RATON — Hassan Whiteside’s first training camp with the Miami Heat has turned out to be a case of auditing, nothing more.

For the fourth day in as many days of camp, the shot-blocking center was reduced to spectator Friday at Florida Atlantic University due to a strained right calf sustained during a precamp workout a week ago.

With the Heat to break camp after a session Saturday morning, Whiteside also is unlikely to play in Sunday’s exhibition opener against the Charlotte Hornets at AmericanAirlines Arena.

“He was able to do a little more on the sideline,” coach Erik Spoelstra said after the session at FAU Arena that lasted more than two hours, “but he didn’t practice.”

Whiteside declined comment afterward, as he reviewed video. He joined the team last November, which would have made this his first camp with the team. He was with the Memphis Grizzlies last preseason.

Spoelstra said the Heat have worked to keep Whiteside engaged.

“We do what we can, a lot of meetings,” Spoelstra said. “He’s at every practice. We have him engaged and involved, even though he’s not on the court practicing. He was with us last year, so he has an idea of a lot of the things that we do. So we control what we can control.”

Guard Mario Chalmers was back Friday after missing Thursday’s practice with a leg issue. Veteran point guard John Lucas III was held out Friday for rest, with undrafted rookie forward Greg Whittington out due to an illness and dehydration.

“We grinded through it today,” Spoelstra said. “Today was a day we really wanted to push through. Guys’ legs were tired. There’s some fatigue of the week.”

The Heat remain with the NBA maximum of 20 players in camp, required to cut to 15 before the start of the regular season, which opens for them on Oct. 28 against the visiting Hornets.