The Rise of Hassan Whiteside
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Hassan Whiteside is not shy about setting lofty career goals.
"I told Spo when I came to work out, I wanted to be like how Alonzo Mourning was when he was for the Heat," the Miami Heat center said on Sun Sports after a much needed 88-84 victory over Brooklyn on Sunday night. Quite the goal for the young fella.
Mourning, now a member of the Miami Heat front office, is widely regarded as one of the finest centers of his time -- seven-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, NBA Champion, and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame are his highlights. It's a chunky resume attached to a player beloved by Heat fans for his performance, sure, but more so his unparalleled intensity and resilience.
Facing a potent Nets frontcourt featuring Kevin Garnett, Mason Plumlee, and Brook Lopez last night, Whiteside finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a career-high 27 minutes. You could call it the best game of his five-year career. You could also label the performance as Zo-esque for the defensive wizardry and this emphatic stuff in the second quarter.
In 11 games this season, Whiteside leads the NBA in blocks per 48 minutes (5.87). He also allows opponents to convert 47 percent of their attempts at the rim, per NBA.com. It's a solid figure considering he's not that far behind dominant shot alterers like Roy Hibbert (40%) and Dwight Howard (43%).
Rim protection isn't anything new for the 25-year-old seven-footer. During his only year at Marshall in the 2009-10 season, his 182 blocked shots (5.4 BPG) led the nation. His defensive potential harnessed within his mammoth frame was what led to getting drafted 33rd overall by Sacramento in 2010. Although it's taken a change of scenery and a total of 30 NBA games spread across a five-year journey, including several stints in the NBA Development League, Whiteside appears to be in the midst of a breakthrough season with Miami after a whacky 2014, verified by a peek at his Wikipedia page:
Whiteside is averaging 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks in 22.3 minutes over his last three games. His foul rate is decreasing (1.7 per game in the same span) and his player efficiency rating ranks eighth among all NBA centers. His recent emergence has been one of the few bright spots for a Heat team towing a disappointing 15-20 record on the heels of four consecutive NBA Finals appearances. Amazingly this sub-mediocrity is still "good" enough for eighth in the inferior Eastern Conference. This team now has 47 more games to find themselves and establish an identity in the aftermath of LeBron James' departure.
For Whiteside, it's a perfect opportunity to latch on to a prestigious organization in a rut and rejuvenate his career. For the Heat, a team uncharacteristically ranked an appalling 26th in defensive efficiency through 35 games, the hope is Whiteside can sustain his recent surge, become a fixture in the rotation, and ultimately help drag Miami back to defensive competence.
The greatness of Alonzo Mourning will never be duplicated but if there's one Heat legend for Hassan Whiteside to emulate, it's Zo.
Follow Josh on Twitter (@JoshBaumgard)
