Should The Nets Consider Signing This 2-Time Block Champion?
Jumping around from high school to high school before entering the NBA and then having to prove himself by playing overseas before rejoining the NBA, Hassan Whiteside has battled a ton of adversity in his basketball career.
Now 33-years-old, Whiteside could be nearing the end of the line, but he has still been a very effective bench talent these last few seasons and could once again jump into a similar role for the upcoming 2022-23 NBA season.
Over the last four seasons, Whiteside has played for the Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. His scoring numbers have changed drastically over these four years and he may not have the same spring in his step he once had, but the one thing that has remained constant with Hassan Whiteside are his abilities to block shots and rebound on both ends of the floor.
Since the start of the 2018-19 season, he ranks third in the NBA in blocked shots (481) and 17th in the NBA in total rebounds (2,431).
Not many teams are looking for a center at this point in free agency, however, the Brooklyn Nets still have two open roster spots they can utilize and adding depth in their frontcourt is not a bad idea whatsoever. As of right now, Nicolas Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe are the only two centers under contract for the Nets heading into the 2022-23 season.
While these two young big men definitely have the potential to carry this frontcourt, the Nets are looking to be a real championship contending team, which is why they need a veteran presence that they can lean on for stability either in or out of the starting lineup.
This description fits Hassan Whiteside perfectly, as he has really adapted to any role his teams have needed from him over the years. He has started, he has come off-the-bench and in either role, Whiteside has proven to still be a major shot-blocking factor.
Playing in 65 games for the Utah Jazz this past season, Whiteside averaged 8.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 65.2% from the floor.
The last center the Brooklyn Nets had that averaged at least 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game over the course of a season was Jarrett Allen during the 2020-21 season. Adding this kind of player on the bench not only makes the Nets a better defensive team, but it sets them up for success should they make a deep playoff push.
Defense wins championships and right now, the Nets are being viewed as a very mediocre defensive team. Maybe this narrative will change when games actually start, but the fact of the matter with Brooklyn is that Claxton and Sharpe are their only two centers.
Adding an experienced rim-protector who is a major lob threat as well offensively is definitely a positive thing for Brooklyn to consider, which is why Hassan Whiteside could make a lot of sense for them as a late free agent signing ahead of training camp.
