MINNEAPOLIS _ Bam Adebayo and Hassan Whiteside not only insist they can coexist in the same Miami Heat lineup, they have proof.
"We practice together on the same team all the time," Adebayo said in advance of Friday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.
But when it comes to the moments that matter, the voice that matters believes otherwise.
Entering the final four-game stretch of the regular season, Whiteside and Adebayo had played a combined 14 minutes together this season.
As a matter of perspective, that is as many as Adebayo has played alongside Ryan Anderson and one minute less than Whiteside has played alongside Anderson.
As in Ryan Anderson, who joined the team at the February NBA trading deadline. As in Ryan Anderson, who never plays.
In all, the Heat have utilized 122 two-man combinations this season, with the Whiteside-Adebayo ranking No. 118 in minutes on that list going into the weekend.
While the Whiteside-Adebayo pairing has a net rating of minus 7.9, it is not exactly a discernible sample size.
Of course what is discernible is the analytical input coach Erik Spoelstra has at his disposal, as well as his eye test during the practices that are closed to the media and public.
"It's not something we have done all year," Spoelstra said. "Particularly, they are there to protect the paint. Just the decision we made."
That has led to nights such as Wednesday's loss to the Boston Celtics, when Whiteside and Adebayo each had double-doubles, but were utilized solely as an either-or proposition.
It was the third time the two have recorded double-doubles in the same game this season, the sixth time over the past two seasons.
Whiteside said he has been encouraged by the time the two have played as teammates during practice.
"Yeah, I feel like it's great," he said. "I feel like it's really good defensively. It's really good rebounding. It's really good offensively. I feel like it's a great complement to each other. We're a heavy pick-and-roll team, so I don't understand that. But I'm not the coach."
Adebayo believes there could be sustainable chemistry, offering his comment only when prompted about the possibility.
"We feed off each other," he said. "When I catch it, I'm looking to make a pass. He feeds off me, the energy and the athleticism pretty much goes together. We're two great rim protectors. And I always know he's got my back. And that's why it's great if he gets beat or I get beat."
But in a league that is downsizing, it is the offensive end where the spacing becomes an issue. That is where Adebayo said a lesson could be taken from the success of his pairing alongside Derrick Jones Jr. in starting lineups.
"It's the same thing with me and Derrick out there," he said. "When they blitz, make the simple plays. We feed off each other. He ducks in, I feed him the ball. He sees me in the corners. It's just simple basketball."
The difference is Jones has developed a somewhat reliable 3-point shot, one that at least stands as a threat. That is not the case with either Adebayo or Whiteside.
"Why not even try it?" Whiteside said. "I think we could make it work."
