Miami Heat: The Hassan Whiteside Story Is Great, But He’s Overrated

Nov 21, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) at the foul line against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) at the foul line against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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Apr 5, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) reacts during the second half of Tuesday night
Apr 5, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) reacts during the second half of Tuesday night

Where Hassan Excels

He can be a threat on offense. He has upped his offensive game over the summer and added some nice spin moves which have proven to be effective against opponents.

His length (7-foot-7 wingspan) aids him in grabbing offensive rebounds, which then leads to second-chance points.

He is a rebounding machine. If the ball clanks off the rim and Whiteside is near the ball, there is a 99 percent chance that Hassan grabs the ball.

He is a rim-protector. Whiteside makes the opponent regret entering his paint by punishing them with a shower of blocks.

Those are his qualities that I admire, but there are still factors that make him unappealing to me as a fan.

Whiteside Hasn’t Evolved

If you watch Whiteside’s game in college, it looks the same as it does now.

Decent mid-range shot. Good post game. Terrible one-on-one defense. Same old shot hunter.

Old habits die hard, I guess.

If I am an NBA GM, I would want my player to have developed more since college, not to have stayed stagnant.

You could point out and say that he made small additions to his game over the years, such as a spin move or a better free throw form. But the additions stop there.