Tension Mellowed Down: Hassan Whiteside Expresses Regret on Rant

This is after questioning Erik Spoelstra's decision to bench him late in the 4th quarter of a game

The Miami Heat have yet to secure their playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they are in 7th place with a 41-36 record. With 5 games left on their schedule including a game against the East-leading Toronto Raptors, the Heat may need to pick up the pace instead of battling each other. Yep, there has been a recent tension between the Miami coaching staff and their center, Hassan Whiteside.

In their game against the Brooklyn Nets, Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra decided not to play his center during the closing minutes of the game which the Nets won, 110-109. And that's a decision that didn't sit well with Whiteside who is averaging 13 points, 11 rebounds and, close to 2 blocks per game this season. After the game, Hassan Whiteside took out his frustration via a post, even saying that there are a lot of teams who could use a center of his caliber- a statement he eventually regretted making.

"Behind Us"

Just a few days after making the rant, Hassan Whiteside and the Heat appeared to be in good terms after both sides met and Whiteside was fined by the team. In his defense, Whiteside stated that he said what he said because he was frustrated that the Heat lost a winnable game. He also noted that given how close the final score was, he could have handled it differently. In the end, Whiteside made one thing clear: he trusts Erik Spoelstra's decisions.

For his part, Coach Spoelstra said that the team has already moved on from the ugly situation and said that Whiteside's statement which he said came out in a poor timing and made by a poor judgment, is already behind them. 

Conclusion

With a playoff berth yet to be secured, the last thing the Miami Heat needs right now is a rift between the players and the coaching staff. While all is well for now in the Heat, one cannot help but ask the question: will Hassan Whiteside return to Miami after this season? That's a nice question to answer, right? For now, fans need to hope that their team will regain their focus and secure a playoff spot because clock's ticking.