Portland Trail Blazers: Hassan Whiteside teases playmaking ability

Hassan Whiteside offers some insight on the Portland Trail Blazers after logging his first practice reps with his new team.

Ah yes, we got shooters indeed. Hassan Whiteside‘s excitement to now be playing in a different environment with the Portland Trail Blazers hasn’t yet seemed to damper. This 7-foot rebounding machine is itching to return to the court and prove everyone they were wrong about him and how his tenure in Miami came to a close.

In a recent interview with Jason Quick of the Athletic, Whiteside discussed his new teammates and hinted at possibly adding a new facet to his game this season.

"“They have so much movement, they have so many different plays and reads, I can probably get a triple-double with assists here. You know, I’ve been getting so many assists and dimes … I’m playing more like a point-center here. There’s scrimmages we have where I have six, seven assists like that. I got Dame (Lillard) and CJ (McCollum) — them guys can shoot. All I have to do is give them the ball for an easy assist. It’s so much … it’s so different. You are going to see. You are going to see. Keep this interview.”— Hassan Whiteside"

Considering the fact that Whiteside has never averaged more than one assist per game in any season of his career, it might seem a little ridiculous to expect him the magically develop this skill at 30-years-old. But hear me out, there’s enough precedent here to believe he’s not just blowing smoke.

Jusuf Nurkic‘s playmaking ability was non-existent during his time in Denver. But after being traded to Portland and adjusting to head coach Terry Stotts’ system, Nurkic saw his assists average rise from 3.0 to 4.6 per 100 possessions. Stotts has repeatedly allowed his players to experiment with new aspects of their game early in the season to see what sticks.

And if there’s anything we know about Hassan, it’s that he sure loves to experiment.

If you’re still skeptical he can overcome his ball-hog tendencies in the post and dish out to his teammates when necessary, I don’t blame you. But a shifting environment in Portland should help ease him into that transition.

Just look at the available options Whiteside had to pass to on the perimeter in Miami. Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Rodney McGruder, and the ghosts of Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic? None of those players were consistently threats from deep. And certainly not on the level of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

Whiteside will have a much improved arsenal of assets surrounding him this time around, each capable of spotting up or creating their own shot. He will have more space than ever to work with and consequently, should gobble up even more offensive boards.

Besides the Blazers’ duo of star guards, Whiteside also opened up about his new frontcourt partner Zach Collins.

"“Zach Collins is an unbelievable shot blocker. I didn’t know he could block shots like that. I can’t imagine me and him being in the paint at the same time. It’s going to be unreal.”— Hassan Whiteside"

With both Whiteside and Collins clogging the paint, opposing teams should have to deal with a much stiffer Portland Trail Blazers defense than in years past. Portland’s very own twin towers should in theory deny the paint and force other teams into a shootout with Dame and CJ.

Then on the other end of things, Hassan and Zach will make for an imposing force on the offensive boards, creating extra possessions that give the Blazers just enough separation to best their opposition.

While it’s unlikely everything from practice translates perfectly into in-game scenarios, at least the Portland Trail Blazers can now be rest assured that Whiteside will bring his best to the plate this season. And they’ll need it too — well, at least until Nurkic comes storming back into the fold.