Hassan Whiteside Deserves A Max Contract
Hassan Whiteside ranked third in rebounding (11.8), first in blocked shots (3.7) and fourth in field goal percentage (60.6) among centers that played at least 25 minutes per game. Though, it wasn’t until the second half of the season, in which Miami leaned a bit more on him after the loss of Chris Bosh, that Whiteside really broke through.
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During that post All-Star stretch, Whiteside averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots on 60 percent shooting. He even shot a cool 75 percent from the free throw line.
Safe to say, that’s enough to warrant a few max contract offers this summer. In the playoffs, in which he experience an unfortunate knee injury, he was the difference-maker against the Charlotte Hornets, who simply didn’t have an answer for the Heat’s dominant 7-footer.
He’s only 26 years old and has his best basketball in front of him, if he wants it.
Whiteside isn’t going to anchor any team’s offense, but he’s the best shot-blocker in the NBA – perhaps on his way to being one of the best in the history of the league – and is good enough on the offensive end where he isn’t a liability.
All in all, he’s a difference maker. And there aren’t many centers that you can say about that in the NBA.
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