The 2017-18 season has not gone as Hassan Whiteside would have hoped.
After averaging 17.0 points and an NBA-leading 14.1 rebounds per game in 2016-17 in 32.6 minutes per game, Whiteside’s health, productiveness, effort and ultimately minutes have all gone down this season and it has led to much frustration with Whiteside and the team.
Here is what he said to the Sun Sentinel after the Heat’s 110-109 loss in Brooklyn on Saturday when asked about his playing time:
“It’s bull—. It’s really bull—, man,” Whiteside said. “There’s a lot of teams that could use a center. S—. That’s bull—.”
Whiteside’s comments led to a fine from the team as of Monday morning.
Heat have fined Hassan Whiteside an undisclosed amount for comments detrimental to the team.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) April 1, 2018
Whiteside has two years and $52.5 million on his contract with the Heat after this season, but the relationship between the two seems pretty bad at the moment and he could be on the trading block for relatively cheap this summer.
The real question is what is he worth? Advanced stats show that offenses suffer with Whiteside on the court, but when he is motivated he is an elite rebounder and one of the best shot blockers in the NBA.