Mavericks Free Agency: The Unlikely Pipe Dream
It's draft night, but in a draft where Dallas' only pick doesn't come until the 46th, the focus remains on free agency. Yesterday, we took a closer look at one big name center in Dwight Howard. The responses were mixed, as expected, while half of Mavs fans embraced the idea of Howard being Dallas' next starting center and the other half sounded like they were about to delete their Twitter at the mention of his name. This next big man I'll be taking a closer look at is basically a unanimous 'yes' vote. Everyone wants him, but only one team can get him. Let's take a closer look at Hassan Whiteside.
Pros
Rim Protection: As mentioned in the Dwight Howard post, Dallas was dead last in blocks per game. Hassan Whiteside was first in the NBA in blocks per game. So, yeah. Whiteside averaged 3.7 blocks per game, 1.4 more than the next leading shot blocker. Whiteside has logged four triple-doubles in his three year career, all including 10 blocked shots. To put that into perspective, only four other players in the history of the NBA have recorded triple-doubles that feature 10 blocks: Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Shawn Bradley. So Whiteside is pretty darn good at swatting shots.
Scoring/Athleticism: I decided to include these as a two in one because his athleticism compliments his offensive abilities. Where Dwight would use his sheer strength to finish through his defenders, Whiteside uses his length and pure athleticism to finish over his opponents. Dwight Howard finished second in field goal percentage, but Whiteside wasn't far behind as he finished third while shooting 61% all season long. Although most of his points, like Howard, come from the paint, Hassan Whiteside has a mid-range shot in his arsenal that Dwight hasn't been able to establish. It's not consistent yet, but it's shown promise, and if it is worked on continuously, it could become a real weapon. Whiteside is a 7 foot athletic freak that can get up and get alley oops with no problem, once again, Rick Carlisle could incorporate this in his pick & roll offense and just throw lobs for days.
Rebounding: Another stat that Dallas struggled with in both the regular and post season was rebounding. Dallas was tied for 19th in the NBA during the regular season in rebounding as they grabbed just 43.1 per game. Their rebounding struggles really showed in the playoffs when they came in dead last by only grabbing 35 per game. Hassan Whiteside was third in the league in rebounding as he grabbed 11.8 per game. Whether he was cleaning the offensive boards with a powerful put-back, or ensuring that his opponent's offense didn't get a second chance bucket by grabbing a defensive rebound, if the ball was coming off the rim, Whiteside was going to get it.
Age: At just 27 years old with only 3 years played under his belt, Hassan Whiteside still has plenty of room to grow, but also has plenty of experience to gel with the rest of Dallas' roster. If Dallas can bring in a good passing point guard to toss lobs up to Hassan (*cough* Conley *cough*), then he should have no problem fitting in with the 27 year old Parsons, the 29 year old Wesley Matthews, and a proven veteran in Dirk to show him the ropes. Wherever Whiteside signs, he's going to be pitched as the face of the franchise or a cornerstone in it for a long time.
Cons
Maturity Level: In the locker room, Whiteside hasn't really had any issues with teammates, on the court however, Whiteside has had plenty of issues with other teams. Whiteside has been ejected three times in the past two seasons and he isn't shy to let the officials know post game how he felt about the calls. Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley, and the rest of Miami's front office has reportedly had many conversations about Whiteside's hot head and trying to get him to grow up. In crunch time, can you count on a guy with that kind of attitude on the court?
Other Suitors: Nearly every team with cap space and in need of a big man will be making some kind of call to Hassan Whiteside. Him, Andre Drummond, and Demarcus Cousins are arguably the three best young centers in the league right now. Cousins is stuck with the Kings and Drummond is restricted. That leaves the unrestricted Whiteside. Miami, in my mind is the most likely to get Whiteside to sign; the Heat were the first team to give him a chance after he played overseas and in the D-League, and he seems like a loyal guy (maybe not, just a hunch). Boston will likely make a push for him if they can't make a move for a solid starting center by using one of their many draft picks. New York, after acquiring Derrick Rose yesterday and giving away Robin Lopez in exchange, is going to need a good big man (Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol will also be targets there). The most notable franchise that will make a big run at Whiteside, though, will be the Lakers. They're young, but a lineup of Russell, Clarkson (restricted free agent), Brandon Ingram (likely the 2nd pick in tonight's draft), Julius Randle, and Hassan Whiteside could make a push for the playoffs in a season or two together. The list could go on, but these are the top four teams that have been circulating the free agent's name outside of Dallas.
What it Would Take to Get Him to Dallas
A lot. As much as every Maverick fan across Mavs Nation wants it to happen, I just do not see this dream becoming a reality. This isn't pessimistic, just realistic. Whiteside will likely be returning to Miami this summer so he can continue to take over the keys to the Heat when Wade retires. Every team that has the cap space will offer him a max contract, but Dallas is going to have to sell a few things here if they even want to be considered. They're going to have to promise Whiteside that he will be "the guy" the day he steps onto the court for Dallas. They'll have to promise that they will continue to get him as many touches as he wants as long as he continues to produce. They'll have to promise him that they can continue to develop his game and make him one of the top centers for a long, long time. Finally, they're going to have to promise that they will build around him with excellent pieces that will put Dallas at the top of the western conference. This is going to be a very similar pitch that Dallas made to DeAndre Jordan last season, which basically worked (not getting into this again). Miami can't promise Whiteside keys to the team right away. That's just about the only upper hand the Mavs have. It's not likely, but it would be very exciting if it happened. Chandler Parsons, re-sign so you can time to turn on your recruiting charm.
