It didn't take long for the Miami Heat to register their first injury of training camp.
Hassan Whiteside was held out of the team's first official workout Tuesday due to a strained right calf muscle. Head coach Erik Spoelstra said Whiteside injured the calf in a workout Friday and is considered day to day.
"I felt a tug on my calf muscle, so I'm just taking a couple of days off," Whiteside said. "It's frustrating but I rather have it happen early in the season than in the middle.
There doesn't appear to be too much to worry about one month out from the start of the regular season. It does represent a continuation of Whiteside's breakout 2014-15 season, in which he was limited by toe, ankle, and hand injuries.
With the minor bumps and a late start to his season, Whiteside only appeared in 48 games for the Heat, leaving him shy of qualifying for league leaderboards. Had he qualified, he would've led the NBA in several categories, particularly on a per-minute or percentage basis, as the 7-footer averaged 11.8 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 23.8 minutes, all while shooting 62.8 percent.
Frustrating though the injury may be, Whiteside's in a much better position than a year ago. After failing to catch on with the Toronto Raptors through summer league, he joined the Memphis Grizzlies for camp, ultimately getting cut before the season. A strong D-League stint got Whiteside a look with the Heat in late November, and the rest of his renaissance is well-documented.
This time around, Whiteside has a starting spot and a guaranteed contract on a team pushing for a return to the playoffs.
