Portland Trail Blazers: Hassan Whiteside is a secret weapon in the Orlando bubble

Throughout the 2019-2020 season, Hassan Whiteside was quietly one of the best centers in basketball, and it will pay dividends in Orlando.

In the NBA today, when fans think of great centers, they think of the likes of Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, and Jusuf Nurkic. But seldom is Hassan Whiteside ever included on that list even though he should.

Leading up to the hiatus, the 31-year-old big man contributed a double-double in 14 consecutive games. To put that into perspective, that is a longer stretch than every center previously listed along with Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James.

Whiteside has shown up against big-time opponents, including Dec.12, when he put up 33 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks against Denver. He shined at Staples Center on the day of Kobe Bryant’s vigil, unloading with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks.

With an injured roster, all season, the underrated center has shown up for the Blazers when they have needed it.

The fan proclaimed “Count Blockula” averaged 16.3 points, 14.2 rebounds and 3.1 blocks over 61 games. His massive contributions show on the NBA leader boards, where he sits second among all players in rebounds per game.

In the block category, he leads all players in blocks per game, and it is not even close. The next closest player, Anthony Davis, averaged almost a whole block less than Whiteside.

He had a 25.0 player efficiency rating, which ranks him 12th among all NBA in that category, sandwiched in between Nikola Jokic and Trae Young.

Additionally, Whiteside’s estimated wins added come out to 13.7 games, which means Portland would have had roughly 15 wins and 42 losses without him.

This means that without Hassan, the Blazers would have had the second-worst record in basketball, ahead of only the Golden State Warriors.

Although his contributions go unnoticed, Rip City would not be headed to the bubble if it weren’t for Whiteside.

As he transitions in the second unit, the Portland Trail Blazers boast several matchup problems. Simons and Trent Jr. have evolved into a wildly dynamic duo, and pairing them with Hassan will make them a three-headed monster.

The trio will face off against the following groups: Tyus Jones, DeAnthony Melton, and Gorgui Dieng (Grizzlies); Brad Wanamaker, Marcus Smart, Enes Kanter (Celtics); Austin Rivers, Ben McLemore, and Jeff Green (Rockets); and Delon Wright, J.J. Barea, and Boban Marjanovic (Mavs).

The Blazers can do damage to each of these groups and will play a massive role in creating competitive edges in these tough matchups.

The mere presence of both Jusuf Nurkic and Hassan Whiteside makes the depth of the bench possible. Pair that with the backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum Rip City is a must-watch team in Orlando.

So while it is easy to focus on flashy players throughout the NBA, keep an eye on Hassan and his insane contributions. Frankly, he is quietly a top-five center in the league at this very moment, and the numbers back it up.