Hassan Whiteside is one of the most interesting players in the league right now. A late bloomer, he has emerged over the last two seasons as one of the premier shot-blockers in the league. The Miami Heat center is also an impending free agent and with the team not holding his Bird Rights, he has no financial incentive to stay in Miami.
All that to say that the big-man has played himself into a max contract. Whiteside’s length and athleticism is too much to pass on for many teams and his statistical production just gives more evidence of his physical prowess.
Case in point, Whiteside accomplished another phenomenal game on Friday. In a 108-97 win against the Orlando Magic, the center recorded yet another double-double. The big-man scored 26 points on 10-15 shooting while adding twelve rebounds and five blocks. Whiteside did all of that in fewer than 30 minutes.
This was another in a long line of impressive performances from Whiteside. The center is a controversial figure due to some personality concerns as well as people not being quite sold on his play. But if he continues to put up stat lines like the one he posted on Friday, Hassan Whiteside will be well on his way to a max contract and a place among the elite big-men in the league.