On How Hassan Whiteside Can Help the Miami Heat’s Power Rotation
By Wes Goldberg
The Miami Heat made a roster move to bolster its front line Monday, signing Hassan Whiteside from the D-League.
The Miami Heat announced Monday that they signed 7-foot center Hassan Whiteside out of the D-League and waived guard Shannon Brown to make room. The team decided to call up Whiteside from the Iowa Energy rather than give the nod to their own Khem Birch on the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Why? Because Whiteside offers a bit more of what the Heat need.
Whiteside was drafted No. 33 overall by the Sacremento Kings in 2010. He spent two seasons in Sac before stints in the D-League, China and Lebanon before a brief tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies this off-season. Whiteside had most of his success in China in 2013, when he won the 2013 National Basketball League Championship and was named NBL Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year among other awards.
Here is a YouTube mix of his highlights, set to Drake’s “0 to 100” because it only makes sense.
So what can he do for the Heat? Let’s start with Scott Rafferty’s take on the matter, since he specialized in this sort of thing. From Upside & Motor:
"While Whiteside is currently 12th in the D-League in scoring, he is still quite raw offensively. It’s no surprise that the bulk of his points this season have come off of alley-oops, put backs and fast breaks. He has benefitted greatly from playing alongside a trio facilitators in Damien Wilkins, Diante Garrett and Kalin Lucas, who have combined to average 19.6 assists per game. What Whiteside does have going for him, though, is that he’s a big and athletic target. He knows how to use his length and leaping ability to finish shots in the paint, and he’s capable of playing above the rim.Where Whiteside’s presence is felt the most is on the defensive end, and that’s why the Heat are taking a chance on him."
This is his shot chart, via NylonCalculus.com, of his 2012-13 season in the D-League. As you can see, he’s basically limited to the restricted area.
The Heat need someone like Chris Andersen of two years ago. Back then, Birdman could get up for put back dunks and find room on backdoor cuts. Plays weren’t drawn up for him, but he got his points by cleaning things up. That’s what Whiteside will need to do, and the athleticism he offers is what’s currently missing from Miami’s front line depth currently embodied by Andersen and Udonis Haslem.
I’ve mentioned before the Heat’s need for a Tiaggo Splitter-type. Splitter gets his points by following shots and using his athleticism on put-backs. He’s also developed into a nice defensive player and complements the game of Tim Duncan very well. Whiteside, 25, offers similar potential and could offer Bosh some relief at center. The Heat have taken home-run chances on guys like Eddy Curry and Greg Oden in the past. Whiteside doesn’t offer that kind of out-of-the-park potential, but could turn into a solid contributor and regular part of the rotation.