Portland Trail Blazers: Can Hassan Whiteside return to his best

When the Portland Trail Blazers traded for Hassan Whiteside they were hoping he could return to top form. What makes him such an intriguing addition?

Five years prior to being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, Hassan Whiteside had a brief stint as the best rim protector in basketball. After bouncing between Sacramento and Memphis he found a home on the Miami Heat. His first three years in Miami were a charm. Whiteside made an All-Defensive team, led the league in blocks, and led the league in rebounding. On a team transitioning from the loss of LeBron James then Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Whiteside was an exciting addition. His overwhelming athleticism on both ends made him a dominant force in the paint. Unfortunately only a year after inking a four year max contract he started to regress. Only used sparingly in the playoffs, he was at odds with heat management and seemed to be out of favour. Due to a combination of injuries and effectiveness he had two down years where he played less games and limited minutes. Last season though, it seemed like he may be getting back to his best. Though he only played 23 minutes a game he was very effective over these minutes and posted some of his best per 36 minute lines.

Here’s how Whiteside can be a positive addition to the Portland Trail Blazers this year.

Finishing at the rim

At his peak Whiteside was a wrecking ball at the rim, in his first two seasons he finished around the rim at a whopping 73%. Good enough to rank in the 95th percentile, this kind of efficiency is devastating for opponent defense. With shooters like Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on the team, being efficient at the rim sucks in extra defenders leaving someone else open on the perimeter.

Rebounding

Whiteside is an excellent rebounder when engaged. As he is such a physical specimen he can easily tip home offensive rebounds while nabbing most of the defensive rebounds while he’s on the court. Whiteside finished in the 97% percentile as a defensive rebounder each of his five years in Miami. The Blazers were a strong rebounding team last year, adding Whiteside could make them the best rebounding team in the league.

Drawing Fouls

Whiteside is also excellent at drawing fouls, be it shooting fouls or non shooting fouls. The ability to get into the bonus quickly is a massive asset for a team who has great free throw shooters in McCollum or Lillard. Last year Whiteside was one of the best big men when it came to drawing fouls. This time ranking in the 87th percentile when it came to his position.

Defense

The most important part of Whiteside’s game and the skill that will transform this Portland team is defense. An engaged Whiteside is one of the best shot blockers in the game. And like paint protecting contemporary Rudy Gobert, he can affect shots in the painted area just with his presence under the rim. His rim protection numbers last year were excellent, as were his numbers defending away from the rim on shooters. But its the consistent effort on a nightly basis coupled with off ball defense that will raise the floor of this team.

At only 30, Whiteside still has a lot left in the tank. As he only played 19 games before the age of 25 he doesn’t have a lot of mileage on his body, meaning should be able to contribute for a while yet. With only a year left on his contract he has a point to prove and a new contract to earn.