Factor no. 1 – Hassan Whiteside may get bullied by Al Horford
Hassan Whiteside hasn’t exactly had the best season, nor has All-Star Al Horford, so this match up could be an interesting one. However, neither of their statistics have been that alarming in the past 10 games to get uncomfortable with their positions on their teams.
Horford over past 10 games: 11.6 PPG, 6.4 TRB. 4.8 AST, with shooting splits of 56.3/47.6/75.0 over 24.4 MPG.
Whiteside over past 10 games: 11.3 PPG, 10.9 TRB, 1.6 BLKS, with shooting splits of 50.0/0.0/36.7 over 25.4 MPG.
While neither of those stat lines are too alarming, there is something that stands out when looking at the two rosters, it’s that Whiteside is the Heat’s 4th leading scorer in 10 games and Horford is 6th leading scorer.
Meaning, the Heat’s depth is what makes Whiteside’s lack of production matter more than Horford’s lack of production, with Boston’s depth making up for Horford’s lack of consistency. However, it’s what Horford does off-the-ball that differentiates him from most big men in the league, mastering the concept of beating his man out of the restricted zone to force his opponent into a bad shot.
As for what this potential match up could look like, past games between the two have shown us that these players may be closer than what many people think. In the 6 games they have played against one another, Horford leads Whiteside with a record of 4-2, and as for stats, that looks like a different story.
Horford in those 6 games: 13.7 PPG, 8.2 TRB, 5.2 AST, and 1.5 STLS
Whiteside in those 6 games: 15.3 PPG, 12.8 TRB, and 2.3 BLKS
And while Whiteside’s stats at face value look more attractive than Horford’s, it’s what Horford does as a facilitator and from an IQ perspective that separates the two. Expect to see the Celtics’ big man play a lot from the perimeter (not unlike Jokic), moving the ball across the court, and for Whiteside to get wobbly when moving laterally.
Overall, I expect Horford to take over this match up in the intangibles area, which is hard to match if your Whiteside.
Our next factor has to do with the Celtics’ and Heat’s former-injured players that may have the biggest games in this one.