That goes double for Gerald Green. Both players we had and got rid of and then all of a sudden, "flip a switch".
Miami signed him to a 2 year deal. So this season and next and then he is a UFA with a pallet of money at his door.
Neither player "flipped a switch" right after we got rid of him. It took a lot of time and training for both guys and a special situation for Green.
Smart on their part, and yep he is going to get paid, he can play and is finally gaining that confidence like he belongs! DD
Whiteside had a bad reputation that seemed to follow him beyond the court, which could explain why so many NBA teams passed up on him. Miami Heat had considered him prior to this season. He matured overseas, and credit to the Heat with Pat Riley, Zo, and Juwan Howard to in helping mentor him. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...-whiteside-long-path-to-nba-success/22943855/ http://www.si.com/nba/2015/02/04/hassan-whiteside-miami-heat-erik-spoelstra-dwyane-wade
14PTS (6-8FT, 2-2FT), 24Reb (8Off), 2BLK. Is this kind of stat line just NBD for him anymore? I seriously don't understand wtf is going on with this guy. Too bad he's 1 year late
It's amazing what a change in mindset can do. His attitude was so bad that nobody wanted to sign him, to be able to turn that around is remarkable. Imagine if Stromile Swift or Terrence Williams managed to do that. That said, I think there's a strong chance of relapse once he gets a monster contract. It would be fantastic if it wasn't the case, but even average-above average NBA players do this (contract year guys like Mike James, Ariza-ish), so I wouldn't be too surprised if he reverts back to a streak of bad attitudes once his contract is done and role as a very good center is cemented.
He was worth letting go, like some posters said he was trash when we got him so wtf do you want to do about it? DD doesn't like turnover but for me attitude is the biggest thing so if you got a guy like Whiteside and he turns out to be crazy or lazy then you get rid of him pronto. Maybe Whiteside shapes up and that's good for him but for every ZBO success story you have 100s of failed prospects like Bynum, Dragic and Sanders who have immense talent and just wasted it all.
Letting Whiteside go is/was not the problem. The problem is we signed Dorsey to a 2-year guaranteed deal 5 days after the moratorium ended last summer and Whiteside was there for the taking. Dat huwts.
With Whiteside on the Rockets, our entire team chemistry might be thrown off. We would have to worry about catering to a little boy, instead of having another man, even If he isn't as talented. Not convinced Whiteside can be in a championship locker room.
Huh? Catering to a little boy? How are the Heat "catering" to the little boy that it seems you're saying Whiteside is? This isn't like an Andrew Bynum situation where he has a bad attitude but since he's been in the league and won a championship, thinks he is all that and can't be talked to or mentored. How are the Rockets anymore of a championship contender than the Heat would have been (w/a healthy Bosh and now Dragic) in a wide open Eastern Conference? Either way, doesn't matter, Whiteside is on the Heat. What's done is done.
How dare you leave out his response to a question about his takedown of Len? (TBH it was a weak takedown as he couldn't lift Len but was able to push Len back and on the ground). <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Whiteside acknowledges he should've restrained himself but says Len was mad "because I just kept dunking on him."</p>— Jason Lieser (@PBPjasonlieser) <a href="https://twitter.com/PBPjasonlieser/status/572606084596166656">March 3, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Lol at "He was mad because I just kept dunking on him". Almost as great as "Just trying to get my 2k rating up".