Hassan Whiteside needs more than good health to help Heat

Hassan Whiteside claims his body his returning to full health this summer. He’ll need more than that to help the Miami Heat make the playoffs.

When you watch Hassan Whiteside play it’s easy to fall in love with his athletic potential. Few NBA centers can run the floor and block shots quite like the Heat big man. Unfortunately, his inability to master the mental part of the professional game really limits his ability to impact winning.

In fairness to Whiteside, injuries certainly hampered his ability to perform for the Heat last season. He missed 28 games due to injury and he clearly looked to be laboring at times when he was on the floor. Whiteside directly attributes his injury status to the reason he was in and out of Erik Spoelstra’s rotation.

The good news for Heat fans is that Whiteside claims he is “completely healed” via the Sun Sentinel and now he feels like his “regular self again.” That’s certainly a part of what needs to happen to make him a key part of the Heat team again this season. It isn’t everything though. It’s just as important for Whiteside to finally buy in what Spoelstra and the Heat’s brain trust want him to do.

To that end, Whiteside met with Spoelstra and Pat Riley for four hours earlier this summer. It seemed to reestablish trust for everyone involved. The player called it a “great talk” and Riley reiterated his trust for his seven-footer last week. Expect for Whiteside to have every opportunity to play more consistent minutes this year.

In order to take advantage of that opportunity, Whiteside will need to change his game. The first adjustment he needs to make is to simplify his offensive game. He has to accept the fact that he’s a below-average post player. Possessions where Heat guards feed him the ball on the block frequently result in bad shots or turnovers. As long as he continues to demand the ball on the block, his offensive effectiveness is going to be limited.

Instead of working for deep post-ups, Whiteside should concentrate on setting screens for the team’s talented guards. That should allow him to get scoring chances at the rims via the pick and roll. Whiteside is at his offensive best when he’s rolling to the rim in the dunker spot.

On the defensive end of the floor, Whiteside fancies himself as one of the best shot blockers in the league. On one hand, that’s understandable. His ability to come over from the weak side and swat shots is really impressive. The trouble is it’s a tactic he employs too often. Every time he comes over to the weak side he leaves his man wide open for a pass or an offensive rebound. Repeatedly making that mistake compromises Spoelstra’s defensive schemes.

Overall, Whiteside needs to become a less selfish player. If he can buy into the team concept on a nightly basis, he’s got a chance to become a player worthy of his massive contract. If he continues to believe he’s one of the best post players and shot blockers in the NBA, he’ll continue to be a net negative for the Heat.

This season might be Whiteside’s last chance to make a real home in Miami.