Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Center is over his negative reaction
Spoelstra doesn’t blame Whiteside for frustration
MIAMI — Heat center Hassan Whiteside believed he had every right to be frustrated.
After the Heat dropped their second consecutive game, Whiteside was visibly upset in the post-game interview. He was benched three minutes into the game because of a lack of rebounding.
So, naturally, there were lots emotions, but that was expected for a team that grew accustomed to winning the past month.
“When a team hasn’t lost in almost a month, guys forget what it feels like to lose a game,” Whiteside said. “I think that pain came back, and it was a thing we forgot about for a while. So it’s OK, though. It’s not the end of the world. We lost two games, and we just got to come out here and get the next one.”
Whiteside said he has moved past his comments, especially after saying he felt he did his part in rebounding Monday against the Orlando Magic. The Heat were outrebounded 52-37, but Whiteside pulled down a game-high 19. Afterward, he spouted off, saying he wasn’t the one to blame because he leads the league in rebounding.
Still, Whiteside respected coach Erik Spoelstra’s decision to bench him.
“It doesn’t really bother me,” Whiteside said. “Spo is going to make his decisions. I just listen to him.”
Spoelstra refused to single out Whiteside’s frustration. He said the entire team has expressed their disappointment the past two games. After winning 13 consecutive games, they have lost to a pair of teams with
losing records entering Wednesday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets.
It is the final game before am eight-day hiatus during the NBA All-Star Break.
“That’s part of being in a competitive business,” Spoelstra said. “That’s why I even reminded them during the course of this year — because it is a young team — that there’s going to be a lot of emotion, and I find it best to usually just to get out of the arena, have a nice dinner, express your frustration at home, let it get out of your system, and come in the next day with a clear mind to work and try to find solutions.
“I really commend this group for that. If they weren’t getting frustrated then you have a problem, and you have a lifeless group. I find that all born out of the right place.”
Guard Dion Waiters and forward James Johnson were among the players to get into verbal spats with Whiteside during the Orlando loss. Veteran Udonis Haslem is also one of the teammates who addresses issues with Whiteside.
“I’m always talking to Hassan,” Haslem said. “I work with him before the game. I talk to him right before the game. I stay in his ear throughout the game. I’m always talking to Hassan. It won’t be just after a game like last night. … He’s getting better and being a more vocal leader. He’s taking strides. He wants to get to where we need him to be. We’re just continuing to work with him.”
Whiteside said he is trying to push himself harder, especially on the defensive end. He also is waiting to see if he will receive an invite to the All-Star Game. The league is expected to name a replacement for Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who won’t play because of injury.
On Tuesday, TNT analyst Reggie Miller endorsed Whiteside when he tweeted, “Hassan Whiteside is a very worthy Kevin Love replacement, especially the way the Heat have played of late.”
“It would be awesome to go to the All-Star,” Whiteside said. “If I don’t go to All-Star, I’m going to go on vacation and rest my body. So either way, I’m blessed beyond belief, man. Either way, it’s a win-win for me.
“Coming from where I came from to today, I got a choice of being an All-Star and going on a resort vacation is unreal. I mean really, really. It’s unreal to me. Just thinking about what I just said, it’s crazy.”