Hassan Whiteside Will Not Live Up To Max Contract Expectations
Even though, Hassan Whiteside is expected to get a max contract this off-season, there is a very good chance that he will never live up to the expectations of the contract. Due to the fact that Whiteside has fooled casual fans and/or organizations into thinking that he is a good defender just because he is good at blocking shots when in reality he has been more of a liability. For instance, when Whiteside is forced to defend a pick and roll he refuses to come out pass the free throw line because one would think that he feels that he isn't quick enough to get back to the basket in time to contest a potential shot at the rim. Which forces the guard who is caught in the pick and roll to make a decision on whether to stay with his man or go to cover the player who is going to pop and in both scenarios it would lead to a wide open long two or a three point shot. Furthermore, when Whiteside is playing Defense in the low post he tends to easily surrender ground to the big man he is defending because he does not have as big of a body frame as other big men. Which means that he has to waste more energy than he wants to if he hopes to stop a big man from scoring as a result, he will choose certain spots to focus on stopping the big man. This is because he knows he must preserve his energy to focus on what he is great at which is blocking shots and rebounding that requires spending a lot of energy jumping.
(pick and roll defense)
(low post defense)
Not only is Hassan Whiteside a severely flawed defensive player, he also is a one-dimensional offensive player as well. Due to the fact that he was almost exclusively involved in pick and roll plays with the Miami Heat where he would set a screen for a guard at the top of the key. Once the guard accepts the screen he will roll to the basket to wait for a lob or get the offensive rebound. Unfortunately once Whiteside signs his new contract this off-season there will be a new level of expectations placed on him by the media and fans which is unfair because that is the player he has been for the past two years.
