3 reasons Miami Heat can win without Hassan Whiteside
By John Buhler
3. Hassan Whiteside isn’t out for the series — yet
Though highly unlikely given that it is an MCL sprain and that only a sprained right ankle ended up keeping Valanciunas out for the next two to four games, Whiteside has not been completely ruled out on returning to play in Games 5 through 7 like his front court foe has.
If DeMarre Carroll could play in Game 2 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals the game after what looked to be a certain torn ACL, there is hope that Whiteside could return in the deciding games of this tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff series.
Should he be able to play in any of the final three games, expect the Heat to have a massive advantage in the front court both on the glass and in the low post offense with Whiteside’s raw athleticism if available of course.
Even if Whiteside is also out for the series like Valanciunas, their respective injuries in a way cancel each other out. Miami did a fine job in the second half of the season figuring out how to win at a high level without Bosh’s availability. While Toronto dealt with lingering Carroll injuries out on the wing, the Raptors are as well-equipped to handle a deflating injury like Valanciunas’ in the front court, especially since Toronto is absolutely a back court dominated team.
Next: 2. Erik Spoelstra is a better head coach than Dwane Casey.