Mailbag: Did win vs. Rockets show Hassan Whiteside’s fourth-quarter worth?
The weekly Miami Herald Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions.
If you weren’t able to ask a question this time, send your questions for future mailbags via Twitter (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email me at achiang@miamiherald.com.
Kenny: Did Hassan Whiteside prove he deserves to play more minutes in crunch time with his game against the Rockets?
Anthony Chiang: I don’t know if I’ll go that far, because it was just one game. And big men Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk have also been effective in fourth quarters this season. But center Hassan Whiteside did make the most of his opportunity against Houston on Thursday.
Whiteside played the final 6:04 and grabbed seven rebounds, including three offensive rebounds in that time. The Heat’s defense was awesome with Whiteside on the court in the final period, too, as it posted a really impressive defensive rating of 75 with him playing in the fourth Thursday. The Rockets shot just 2 of 11 from the field in Whiteside’s six fourth-quarter minutes.
Still, there was the Hack-a-Hassan. Whiteside has been struggling with his free-throw shooting, and he made just 1 of 4 in the final period to score his only point of the quarter. But his defense and rebounding more than made up for that.
Now, the question is: Will Whiteside play in more fourth quarters moving forward? He has played in the fourth quarter in just two of his past nine games. But Thursday was definitely a step in the right direction.
@edoardoconti91: I understand the hype on DJJ but Ellington shouldn’t be removed from the rotation, especially with a short-handed roster. He can score and his movements help spacing. Is he going to be traded soon?
Anthony: This has less to do with any idea of a trade and more to do with Derrick Jones Jr. It’s that simple. There are only so many minutes to go around, and Jones has made coach Erik Spoelstra play him with his ability to rebound and defend multiple positions. But in order for Jones to play 20-plus minutes each game after starting the season as a situational option, another player’s playing time has to be cut to make room. That player is Ellington, who had been a DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) in two of his past five games and played five minutes in Thursday’s win over the Rockets.
The Heat is trying to win behind its defense and ability to grab offensive rebounds. Jones helps in both of those areas, while Ellington’s greatest strength is the three-point shot. This doesn’t mean Ellington won’t have one of those 20-point games in some random spot. He will probably still have a few more nights this season that remind us how dangerous he can be when he’s feeling it. And he will probably get back in the Heat’s rotation at some point. But for now, Jones has taken his minutes.
And this is all without Dion Waiters and Goran Dragic. When those two eventually return from injury later this season, there will be a few players in the unfortunate spot Ellington is in right now.
