Draft Prospect: Hassan Whiteside

[Bruno]

http://www.collegehoopsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Whiteside.jpg
Height: 7-0
Weight: 235 lbs
Birthday: 06/13/1989
College: Marshall

DraftExpress (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Hassan-Whiteside-5660/)
nbadraft (http://www.nbadraft.net/players/hassan-whiteside)

[DynastyBuilder]

DX Weekly Performers 3/17/10

Three months after posting our initial impressions of Hassan Whiteside (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Hassan-Whiteside-5660/)’s freshman season (our first scouting report on him actually came back in 2008), the dust has settled and has allowed us a much clearer picture of his strengths and weaknesses.

Whiteside has emerged about as quickly as a prospect can when looking at where he was this time last year—a raw, rail-thin, anonymous big man coming off the bench in prep school, committed to play for a small Conference USA team in West Virginia. Whiteside faced significant question marks regarding his ability to even get eligible at Marshall from an academic standpoint, and was not receiving very much attention from the recruiting services.

Fast-forward a year and Whiteside is fresh off being named C-USA’s top freshman and defensive player of the year, after leading the NCAA in blocked shots. He’s elevated his NBA draft stock significantly in the process, to the point that he’s being mentioned by many as a potential lottery pick and perhaps even higher.

More... (http://www.draftexpress.com/article/NCAA-Weekly-Performers-31710-3417)

[BadOne]

I've been payin attention to this dude in the mock drafts. He sounds like he could be a really good big in the league. I wonder if S.A. could trade up for the guy. A few mock drafts have him going around # 10. No way SA ends up with that high of a pick.

-BADONE

[benefactor]

He is WAY to much of a project to waste a first round pick on. The Spurs are just now getting to the end waiting for one project 7 footer to pan out that never did. They don't need to waste guaranteed money on another one.

[AFBlue]

He is WAY to much of a project to waste a first round pick on. The Spurs are just now getting to the end waiting for one project 7 footer to pan out that never did. They don't need to waste guaranteed money on another one.

Agreed. I'd much rather the Spurs trade up in the second round and snag Jarvis Varnado to fill the athletic, shot-blocking big role.

[AFBlue]

Whiteside is in per NBAdraft.net. Seems like a high-upside guy that will end up going in the lottery before the Spurs have a shot at him, but who knows.

[DynastyBuilder]

Draft Report: Hassan Whiteside Of Marshall

http://realgm.com/src_feature_pieces/900/20100507/draft_report_hassan_whiteside_of_marshall/

[benefactor]

DX now has the Spurs drafting him at 20.

Do not want.

[yavozerb]

DX now has the Spurs drafting him at 20.

Do not want.

If George,babbitt,hayward, and henry are all off the board (which according DX in this mock they would be)I would be glad to take on this guy.

[Mr Bones]

His block/foul ratio is amazing, more than 2/1. This was better than anyone else in the NCAA. Playing at Marshall, his level of competition was lower than that of other prospects, so it's hard to evaluate-- but that's a good sign, since the hardest thing to teach young shot blockers is how differentiate between good block attempts and bad, and how to avoid foul trouble... something Mahinmi could never seem to master, either in France, the D league, or the NBA. If all of the desirable SFs are gone by the 20th pick, I'd be very happy with this pick. The possibility of Splitter playing 25+ mpg and Whiteside playing 7+ mpg would be very interesting IMO.

[scottspurs]

This guy could be a great shot blocker, but he is going to take time. If the spurs develop him right they could have a defensive weapon if they draft Whiteside.

[yavozerb]

This guy is already an above average shot blocker and I think he will become one of the better currently in the NBA. Its the rest of his game that may take a while. Also, notice how most of his blocks stay in bounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD5U3eQY-k0

[Gino2882]

His measurable numbers were also out of this world. Legit 7 feet in shoes, 7'7 wingspan and he average 5.7 blocks a game at Marshall.

Chad Ford has been talking about him a lot recently saying how Whiteside has an attitude and a sense of entitlement. This is obviously something the Spurs would have to be comfortable with.

As for his game. I actually like his offensive game. He has some range to his shot. The defensive game is where he will earn his time. He is an excellent shot blocker. He is very thin and may have trouble holding position early in his career. Everything I have read said his best attribute is his ability to block shots from the weakside.

[AFBlue]

The guy he gets compared to most often is Marcus Camby...a player many on this board have been clamoring to pair with Duncan for years. Obviously he's not ready to be that player yet, but his skill-set (athleticism, shot-blocking) is intriguing.

I stick to my original statement that I'd rather see the Spurs address another need with their first pick, but I don't think grabbing a guy with Whiteside skill set and upside would be a bad decision.

[benefactor]

In Givony's write up of him he stopped just short of saying he was dumb as a brick. Confused in Marshall's simple offense, barley got into college/has to go to the draft because he's too stupid to stay eligible, poor fundamentals, poor BBIQ...the list goes on and on. Oh yeah, he will be 21 next month, which makes him pretty old to be so underdeveloped.

Do the Spurs really want to pay guaranteed money to a guy that won't play a single minute in a Spurs uniform next year? Or possibly the year after that?

Do. Not. Want.

[yavozerb]

In Givony's write up of him he stopped just short of saying he was dumb as a brick. Confused in Marshall's simple offense, barley got into college/has to go to the draft because he's too stupid to stay eligible, poor fundamentals, poor BBIQ...the list goes on and on. Oh yeah, he will be 21 next month, which makes him pretty old to be so underdeveloped.

Do the Spurs really want to pay guaranteed money to a guy that won't play a single minute in a Spurs uniform next year? Or possibly the year after that?

Do. Not. Want.

1st off you have no idea if he would play or not so to say that is simply trying to paint an even darker picture of this kid sense you are only guessing he would not play. 2nd, 21 being to old? are you kidding me, I am not sure how old Blair is but I think he is about the same age, so I guess its ok for him, huh? Most of the kids who play one and done are not some of the brightest student athletes on campus. Do you really think they dont get alot, alot, and I mean alot of help in passing there classes so they can play basketball?I honestly dont even think he will make it to #20, so I will not waste to much time on this, but his BASKETBALL talent level is definatly lottery pick and I hope some of the gm's around the league think like you do and pass on this kid cause I would be very happy with him at #20

[benefactor]

Blair wasn't stupid...and he was actually pretty polished from a player standpoint.

And how many "talented" players have come through the league that fans have watched and said, "Man, that guy would be amazing if he wasn't so damn stupid."

He's a project...period. That means that no matter what he is going to take at least a few season to figure out the NBA game, if he does at all. With this pick the Spurs should be looking for players that can offer some sort of help next year.

[benefactor]

BTW...didn't the Spurs sign a shot blocking specialist last year that could do much besides that? What happened to him? Oh, that's right...they never played him then traded him away for a second round pick in 2125.

[yavozerb]

Blair wasn't stupid...and he was actually pretty polished from a player standpoint.

And how many "talented" players have come through the league that fans have watched and said, "Man, that guy would be amazing if he wasn't so damn stupid."

He's a project...period. That means that no matter what he is going to take at least a few season to figure out the NBA game, if he does at all. With this pick the Spurs should be looking for players that can offer some sort of help next year.

If this kid is still around, I gurantee that all of the sf's which most of us believe would help next season are off the board..Some of yall are acting as if we have a lottery pick, our pick is #20, yes I agree this is a deep draft but to find a player this late in the draft who will help right away is very hard to do in the NBA (not impossible).

[DesignatedT]

seems pretty raw. obviously no way we draft him if we get word from splitter but could definitely see us taking him if that falls through. they're are much better options though IMO.

[Mr Bones]

I've read quite a few things about him recently and they vary from some calling very "naive" to others defending him as simply very shy.... so I can't speak about the personality characteristics. But, remember, Brandon Jennings skipped college because he was essentially caught cheating on the SATs and also had serious academic trouble. It's a big leap to label the guy "dumb as a rock" if you aren't familiar with him. I like George Hill quite a bit too, and I wouldn't exactly call him a brilliant scholar based on his interviews, but he is a player who constantly strives to improve and has a good attitude. Whiteside went in one season from being almost unknown to being the leading shotblocker in the country, the defensive player of the year in his conference, and a guy who could register triple doubles... I'd guess he worked pretty hard to grow so much in one year.

[Mr. Body]

Sounds like he has horrible basketball IQ and is questionable off the court. I can't see the Spurs taking a flier on a guy like this.

Bringing up Blair is senseless. Blair has an excellent feel for the game.

[yavozerb]

Sounds like he has horrible basketball IQ and is questionable off the court. I can't see the Spurs taking a flier on a guy like this.

Bringing up Blair is senseless. Blair has an excellent feel for the game.

Blair was brought up due to his age being similar to whiteside, not senseless at all..

[benefactor]

Blair was brought up due to his age being similar to whiteside, not senseless at all..
It is senseless. Blair at 21 was a potential lottery pick and an NBA ready player. Whiteside is a project that might not ever be anything. Big difference.

[yavozerb]

It is senseless. Blair at 21 was a potential lottery pick and an NBA ready player. Whiteside is a project that might not ever be anything. Big difference.
Other than rebounding what exactly was Blair NBA ready at? Most had predicted his offense would only come from put backs and that was accurate due to his size. How is Whiteside who led the nation in blocks at 5 per game any less of a project than blair? They both do a particular thing very well (blair= rebounding and Whiteside=blocks) and must work on other parts of their game.

[benefactor]

Other than rebounding what exactly was Blair NBA ready at? Most had predicted his offense would only come from put backs and that was accurate due to his size. How is Whiteside who led the nation in blocks at 5 per game any less of a project than blair? They both do a particular thing very well (blair= rebounding and Whiteside=blocks) and must work on other parts of their game.
You are seriously going to pursue this argument? Seriously? Blair is just as much a project as Hassan Fucking Whiteside?

L M A O.

[yavozerb]

You are seriously going to pursue this argument? Seriously? Blair is just as much a project as Hassan Fucking Whiteside?

L M A O.

All I am trying to say is both players entered the league (hassan soon will be) having one particular element to their game where they excelled at in college. Is this wrong? Please tell me you are not one of the posters who think blair will be an all-star PF at 6'6?

[Mr. Body]

Jesus. Blair was an exceptional college player for a nationally ranked program at Pittsburgh and was one of the top players -- as a sophomore -- in the Big East. Whiteside is a longterm project with a marginal school in a marginal conference who can do one thing well and everything else not so well, plus is possibly a headcase.

[Mel_13]

All I am trying to say is both players entered the league (hassan soon will be) having one particular element to their game where they excelled at in college. Is this wrong? Please tell me you are not one of the posters who think blair will be an all-star PF at 6'6?

I would say that you are underestimating Blair's readiness for the NBA. He demonstrated excellent court awareness, great hands, and very good passing skills.

He also possesses one intangible critical for success at the next level and that is confidence. Blair was sometimes overwhelmed by more experienced, more skilled players, but he was not overwhelmed by the situation. He believes that he belongs and that is clearly evident to even a casual observer.

I don't know how Whiteside measures up in areas outside of shotblocking, but Blair's NBA readiness can't be reduced to his rebounding prowess.

[mogrovejo]

Jesus. Blair was an exceptional college player for a nationally ranked program at Pittsburgh and was one of the top players -- as a sophomore -- in the Big East. Whiteside is a longterm project with a marginal school in a marginal conference who can do one thing well and everything else not so well, plus is possibly a headcase.

Agreed. I got film from Whiteside, looking forward to watch it.

[yavozerb]

I would say that you are underestimating Blair's readiness for the NBA. He demonstrated excellent court awareness, great hands, and very good passing skills.

He also possesses one intangible critical for success at the next level and that is confidence. Blair was sometimes overwhelmed by more experienced, more skilled players, but he was not overwhelmed by the situation. He believes that he belongs and that is clearly evident to even a casual observer.

I don't know how Whiteside measures up in areas outside of shotblocking, but Blair's NBA readiness can't be reduced to his rebounding prowess.

I agree with all of this. But, you are giving me current characteristics of blair that were not talked about prior to his rookie season. I do not ever remember seeing blair being a good passer and having good court awareness prior to his rookie season. There are gonna be things that some of these rookies do well that they did not have to do in college. All I am saying is Whiteside's defense is already NBA level, his offense on the other hand is not. At #20, you cannot expect a player with the total package and sometimes you need to take a risk. If all the sf's that we like are gone, I would gladly take on a big with 7'7 arm length and can run the floor.

[benefactor]

Whiteside = Blair....Parker for Beasley....ST is starting to round itself in to fine offseason form. :tu

[Bruno]

If Henry, Hayward, George and Babbitt are all gone at #20, Whiteside seems to be a damn good option. :tu

[Mr. Body]

If Henry, Hayward, George and Babbitt are all gone at #20, Whiteside seems to be a damn good option. :tu

Holy shit, no. Better trade the pick away if that's all you have.

[Mr Bones]

I agree with Bruno-- depending on who is already gone, Whiteside would be a good option. I don't see him as having any similarities to Blair at all in terms of skill set, attitude, etc, but some of the threads around here about Blair are pretty ridiculous too-- people love to say he "could" become the next Wes Unseld, which would be nice though incredibly unlikely-- Wes was ROY & MVP in his first year and considered one of the best defenders in the league. Blair's a great rebounder, a smart scrappy scorer, a defensive liability, and a foul machine... he's good, but he'll never be the mvp of the league.
Whiteside has issues, but so did Rodman, Artest, and Stephen Jackson. Chad Ford called him naive for saying he thought he could someday be Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA.... but what would Ford have said if he'd interviewed Whiteside before his freshman season at Marshall and heard him say he wanted to lead the entire NCAA in blocks and block/foul ratio and be Freshman of the year and defensive player of the year in his conference? Because that's what happened. His block/foul ratio is something Ian Mahinmi could only dream of, and yet I don't see spurstalk veterans mocking other 10,000+ post spurtalkians for hanging their desperate homer hopes on Mahinmi, aka The Savior.... I'd take the potential of Whiteside over Mahinmi anyday.

[Mel_13]

I'll be interested to see how everything works out. At 20 there could be several guard/forwards that can contribute as rookies and take the holes from the departures of Mason and Bogans.

So I find the situation to be unlikely the Spurs draft a big man. With Duncan/McDyess/Blair under contract and the decissions of Bonner, Splitter and Mahinmi already made drafting a big is only if several players the Spurs like are gone. At 25-30 I see that as possible. At 20, I don't.

Players gone by 20:
Wall
Turner
Favors
Johnson
Aldrich
Davis
Cousins
Monroe
Aminu

That's 9 players right there and 10 more players til the Spurs draft. Assuming that the international player stays in I would say that the next 9 players will likely be:
montajunas
Udoh
Patterson
Henry
George

Ah fuck it.

:lmao

Incisive analysis.

[DesignatedT]

I'll be interested to see how everything works out. At 20 there could be several guard/forwards that can contribute as rookies and take the holes from the departures of Mason and Bogans.

So I find the situation to be unlikely the Spurs draft a big man. With Duncan/McDyess/Blair under contract and the decissions of Bonner, Splitter and Mahinmi already made drafting a big is only if several players the Spurs like are gone. At 25-30 I see that as possible. At 20, I don't.

Players gone by 20:
Wall
Turner
Favors
Johnson
Aldrich
Davis
Cousins
Monroe
Aminu

That's 9 players right there and 10 more players til the Spurs draft. Assuming that the international player stays in I would say that the next 9 players will likely be:
montajunas
Udoh
Patterson
Henry
George

Ah fuck it.

:lol

[yavozerb]

I'll be interested to see how everything works out. At 20 there could be several guard/forwards that can contribute as rookies and take the holes from the departures of Mason and Bogans.

So I find the situation to be unlikely the Spurs draft a big man. With Duncan/McDyess/Blair under contract and the decissions of Bonner, Splitter and Mahinmi already made drafting a big is only if several players the Spurs like are gone. At 25-30 I see that as possible. At 20, I don't.

Players gone by 20:
Wall
Turner
Favors
Johnson
Aldrich
Davis
Cousins
Monroe
Aminu

That's 9 players right there and 10 more players til the Spurs draft. Assuming that the international player stays in I would say that the next 9 players will likely be:
montajunas
Udoh
Patterson
Henry
George

Ah fuck it.

:lol, thats about how most of us feel at this point...

[Mr. Body]

Whiteside has issues, but so did Rodman, Artest, and Stephen Jackson.

So did Leon Smith and far more 'talented' players than you could ever name.

[Mr Bones]

So did Leon Smith and far more 'talented' players than you could ever name.

Yes, some players have attitudes. Some turn out to be very talented and some do not. I don't see your point.

Ed O'Bannon came from a big time program, was player of the year, and led his team to a national championship-- a better résumé than DeJuan Blair or Tim Duncan, but he still had a career less impressive than that of Keith Bogans.

[benefactor]

Holy shit, no. Better trade the pick away if that's all you have.
Mountainballer mentioned this in another thread...and I agree with him if it comes down to taking Whiteside.

If all the "desirable" SF prospects were gone I'd like to see the Spurs talk Memphis out of both of their late picks...#25 and #28...for #20. Then they could still likely draft Pondexter and pick up another good guard prospect in Dominique Jones. That has much better payoff potential than waiting until Mr. 7'7 is 30 years old to learn the Spurs system.

[Mr Bones]

Also from a Mountainballer post:

"he also talks about Whitesides immaturity but what a beast he could become if he falls into the right environment. exclusively mentions the Spurs as the right situation for him."

[mountainballer]

Also from a Mountainballer post:

"he also talks about Whitesides immaturity but what a beast he could become if he falls into the right environment. exclusively mentions the Spurs as the right situation for him."

please notice: I just quoted Jonathan Givony, because he was talking about the Spurs. this doesn't mean I share this opinion at all. to be honest, I hate this idea. as benefactor said, before we use the pick for a guy like Whiteside I would use it as trade bait for a NBA proven player. (or trade down)

[benefactor]

Beat me to it. :tu

[Mr. Body]

Yes, some players have attitudes. Some turn out to be very talented and some do not. I don't see your point.

Ed O'Bannon came from a big time program, was player of the year, and led his team to a national championship-- a better résumé than DeJuan Blair or Tim Duncan, but he still had a career less impressive than that of Keith Bogans.

You mentioned like three players with bad 'tudes who had some success. By far, far, far, far the larger group is players with bad attitudes who can't even sniff the NBA anymore, after teams invested time, effort, and money in them. The likelihood that Whiteside is in the second group is nearly 100%.

[Mr Bones]

You mentioned like three players with bad 'tudes who had some success. By far, far, far, far the larger group is players with bad attitudes who can't even sniff the NBA anymore, after teams invested time, effort, and money in them. The likelihood that Whiteside is in the second group is nearly 100%.

You are right about that-- it just comes down to what a "bad" attitude is. I think Chad Ford was put off by Whiteside saying he thought he could someday be the defensive player of the year in the NBA, because he made a remark in his scouting report to the effect of "oh yeah, tell that to Dwight Howard" (I'm quoting from memory so I'm sure that's not perfectly accurate)-- implying he thought Whiteside was naive or pompous for saying so, so my impression was that Ford had a bit of the attitude. To me, a young shot-blocking center who dreams of being defensive player of the year is a good thing-- it shows he knows his strengths and limitations. Whether or not that dream is anywhere in the realm of possibility I don't yet know, but if the Spurs were to draft him, I'd trust that they'd done their homework-- as they usually do-- and would be happy with the pick.

To Mountainballer-- didn't mean to imply that that was your opinion, rather than a report that you had simply posted... sorry it came out like that.

[mountainballer]

To Mountainballer-- didn't mean to imply that that was your opinion, rather than a report that you had simply posted... sorry it came out like that.

no problem.:toast

[noob cake]

Add 20 lbs, get some Mutombo training. Could become a beast

[duncan228]

SLAMonline Mock Draft: Hassan Whiteside, No. 20 (http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2010/06/slamonline-mock-draft-hassan-whiteside-no-20/)
Spurs begin the search for the heir apparent to Duncan.
by Sean Ceglinsky

Tim Duncan, is this guy for real?

I mean, come on, he’s an ageless wonder.

Seemingly, that is.

Duncan defied the odds during the 2009-2010 season, essentially proving that Father Time’s got nothing on him. He was as durable as they come, playing 31-plus minutes a night while shooting 51.9 from the field and netting a respectable 72.5 clip from the free-throw line over the course of a 78-game regular season stint.

Can’t forget to mention the fact that Timmy averaged 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.

That’s getting it done. Straight up.

Keep in mind, we’re talking about a cat that’s been in the League for what seems like forever, 13 years, to be exact. Hard to believe.

But when looking closer at last season’s numbers, you notice his stats, across the board, were down a bit from his career averages.

The decline was expected, of course.

At some point, it happens to everyone.

Don’t think, not even for a split second, that the Spurs brass isn’t mildly concerned. Duncan, after all, has endured plenty of wear and tear over the years while protecting the paint in San Antonio. Protecting the Alamo, if you will.

Now is as good a time as any to start thinking about the future, time to begin formulating a back up plan to eventually replace the irreplaceable cagey vet. Let’s keep it real, Duncan is going to call it career sooner rather than later.

Might as well prepare for the inevitable.

And with the 20th pick in the 2010 SLAMonline Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select…

Hassan Whiteside from Marshall University.

With Duncan on the downside of his career, Gregg Popovich & Co. can consider this pick as insurance policy, of sorts.

An insurance pick with plenty of upside.

In fact, the Spurs should consider themselves lucky that Whiteside is still around at this stage of the game. Once he slipped, the selection was a no-brainer. A done deal. Mail it in. Signed, sealed and delivered.

Think about it, Matt Bonner isn’t the answer underneath the basket for the Spurs.

The same can be said about the effective, but aging Antonio McDyess.

As for Ian Mahinmi, inexperience continues to hold him back.

DeJuan Blair certainly has the heart, no one disputes that notion. But size matters in the NBA. Unfortunately, Blair doesn’t always measure up.

Given time, and the proper tutelage, Whiteside could end up being the answer in the middle for San Antonio. At the very least, a part of the long-term solution.

In the meantime, the Spurs get a whole lot younger with 20-year old in the mix. And while Duncan casts a large shadow, to be sure, learning from the best power forward the game’s ever seen certainly won’t hurt the rookie’s development.

Make no mistake, the Spurs had other options with the 20th pick.

Kentucky’s Daniel Orton was still on the board and would have been a nice fit in the San Antonio frontcourt. A colleague of mine, Jacob H. Pollon, said it best: “Orton is the sexy pick for the Spurs. You can’t go wrong with the kid.”

Florida State’s Solomon Alabi was still available.

Another intriguing prospect was European Kevin Seraphin.

Ultimately, however, Whiteside was too good to pass up.

He’s a legit 7-footer, 230-plus pounds, with a freakish 7-7 wingspan. Moreover, Whiteside is extremely agile for his size, an attribute that allows him to crash the boards with reckless abandon and alter shots, seemingly at will.

Offensively, his game is a bit raw. Then again, San Antonio doesn’t need him to come in right away and score, not with Duncan in the lineup.

The only thing the Spurs need from Whiteside is for him to be an attentive understudy. Face it, the pupil can learn plenty from his teacher.

No one does it better than Duncan. No one.

The hope is that Whiteside will be the heir apparent.

[rascal]

DX now has the Spurs drafting him at 20.

Do not want.

The spurs will be lucky if this guy is still on the board. They need to overhaul the frontline( get rid of Bonner and push McDyess back in the rotation) and bringing in another young big with potential is worth the 20 pick. But I doubt he is still on the board at 20.

[rascal]

It is senseless. Blair at 21 was a potential lottery pick and an NBA ready player. Whiteside is a project that might not ever be anything. Big difference.

The spurs need legit size. They are not winning anything if they do not address that. And only getting Spiller won't be enough. They need at least 2 legit centers on the team next year and get rid of Bonner.

[yavozerb]

Pops Mensah Bonsu Part Deux!

Hmmmm, maybe so but 4 inches taller and 7 inches more on the wingspan...Ya, those 2 are pretty similar..:rolleyes

[rascal]

Mountainballer mentioned this in another thread...and I agree with him if it comes down to taking Whiteside.

If all the "desirable" SF prospects were gone I'd like to see the Spurs talk Memphis out of both of their late picks...#25 and #28...for #20. Then they could still likely draft Pondexter and pick up another good guard prospect in Dominique Jones. That has much better payoff potential than waiting until Mr. 7'7 is 30 years old to learn the Spurs system.

How many more guards do you want on the team? The spurs are loaded at guard.

Not many minutes left at guard for anyone to make a significant impact but lots of minutes on the frontline.

[The Truth #6]

Not a fan of projects for this draft. We need help all over, and I don't think we're loaded at guard. TP has no real PG to back him up. Hill complements Manu, but doesn't rest him. Manu needs a ton of rest to give us anything for the playoffs. Our D league projects are still projects. Again, we need help at guard.

I agree we need help in the post but as I said a project is not ideal. The Spurs suck at developing bigs anyway so I don't see this working, but that's obviously just my opinion.

[Mr Bones]

Whiteside is definitely an enigma-- for every positive review I read about him, there's also a negative one somewhere else. One scouting report out of Sacramento says he outperformed Aldrich, Orton, and Udoh in a workout for the Kings. I'm still intrigued that he could eventually be a taller version of Chris Andersen or Tyrus Thomas-- both have been called "head cases" though I think either would've helped the Spurs this year. I'd have to think that something was up if the Spurs did draft him-- like a trade for a SG/SF or two-- but if Splitter comes and Blair and McDyess remain, Whiteside would only be replacing Mahinmi's 6 mpg, which is a reasonable expectation.

[xellos88330]

I think this guy could help, but he seems to high risk for my taste. The fact that he is very thin is a problem for me. If he has the footspeed to defend the perimiter, he might be best utilized as a 3. That could create some serious problems for most teams to match up with.

[ChuckD]

I think this guy could help, but he seems to high risk for my taste. The fact that he is very thin is a problem for me. If he has the footspeed to defend the perimiter, he might be best utilized as a 3. That could create some serious problems for most teams to match up with.

Hello? If he had the ball handling and shooting skills to be a 3, he'd probably go #2 overall like Durant. Players don't just suddenly develop that shit.

[wildbill2u]

This kid looks better than Ian does today in terms of LEGAL shot blocking and he has a nice touch, even a feasible outside jumper. He's projected at 21 today on DX.

[xellos88330]

Hello? If he had the ball handling and shooting skills to be a 3, he'd probably go #2 overall like Durant. Players don't just suddenly develop that shit.

His jumper can't be worse than Bogans can it? The length on defense is huge. He doesn't have to really handle the ball to sit in the corner.

Hence the "high risk" statement I made. Notice I didn't even say high reward. Honestly it is hard to tell what a guy can do when he moves to the NBA.

[BronxCowboy]

His jumper can't be worse than Bogans can it?


Really? You're serious?

[Chieflion]

Really? You're serious?

Actually, Whiteside's offense is his mid-range jumper. He also said that his jumper is better than people think it is. He also shot 60% from 3 last season but that is mainly due to a small sample size.

[DynastyBuilder]

I've been told he was given star treatment (practicing when he wanted to, never being held accountable) at Marshall. It also led him to decide to ditch the entire spring semester of school.

While I'm curious to see what he develops into, I don't think he fits the mold of being a Spur very well.

[BronxCowboy]

Actually, Whiteside's offense is his mid-range jumper. He also said that his jumper is better than people think it is. He also shot 60% from 3 last season but that is mainly due to a small sample size.

I'm not knocking the kid's jumper, but Bogans is also primarily a jump shooter. And Bogans is a passable shooter from NBA 3 point range. The poster said that Whiteside's jumper couldn't be worse than Bogans'. I would contend that it definitely could. In fact, any 7 footer who has Bogans' jump shot would be gone by pick number 10, hands down.

[Chieflion]

I'm not knocking the kid's jumper, but Bogans is also primarily a jump shooter. And Bogans is a passable shooter from NBA 3 point range. The poster said that Whiteside's jumper couldn't be worse than Bogans'. I would contend that it definitely could. In fact, any 7 footer who has Bogans' jump shot would be gone by pick number 10, hands down.

I actually would contend that it was hyperbole, but the reasoning didn't seem like it.

[AFBlue]

From DX situational statistics on Centers...

Follow the link for the whole article, below is Whiteside's piece. It was one of the more positive write-ups from the DX crew.


Hassan Whiteside is one of the more intriguing players in this draft, and you can see why from his situations statistics.

With a usage of 12.8 possessions per-game that ranks him just above average, Whiteside scored on a very solid 56.8% of his overall touches and turned the ball over at a low 13% rate.

Whiteside received just 27% of his touches in the post, one of the lowest marks on our center rankings. Despite that fact, he scored 61.1% of those touches, good for third on our list. He was fouled on 16.1% of those shots, ranking him second. Whiteside was able to make a nice impact on the block despite his lack of lower body strength, showing a nice hook shot and unique touch for a player his age.

Outside of the post, Whiteside used his length to generate 2.9 possessions per-game from offensive rebounds (3rd). Showing impressive versatility, 26% of Whiteside’s shot were jumpers, the top mark in our sample. Making 40% of those shots and finishing at a highly respective 64.1% clip, Whiteside is one of the most unique talents in this draft. His ability to score from the outside at his height is incredible, he was one of the most impressive shot blockers in the NCAA last season, and shows the potential to score in multiple situations.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Situational-Statistics-This-Yearas-Center-Crop-3507/

[MaNu4Tres]

Rather resign a 23 year old athletic center that is more NBA ready and use the 20th pick on a wing to compete with Hairston and Gee for a spot in the rotation.

[yavozerb]

Rather resign a 23 year old athletic center that is more NBA ready and use the 20th pick on a wing to compete with Hairston and Gee for a spot in the rotation.

Nothing wrong with drafting a big and re-signing Ian. If there is no adequete wing player available at #20 that means a big can be had for cheap and you develop this player for when TD and mcdyess move on.

[MaNu4Tres]

Nothing wrong with drafting a big and re-signing Ian. If there is no adequete wing player available at #20 that means a big can be had for cheap and you develop this player for when TD and mcdyess move on.


True :tu

[benefactor]

Nothing wrong with drafting a big and re-signing Ian. If there is no adequete wing player available at #20 that means a big can be had for cheap and you develop this player for when TD and mcdyess move on.
Paying a 7th big guaranteed first round money is pretty foolish(don't forget the tax dollars)...especially with the gaping hole at SF.

If the Spurs feel that someone like Whiteside has enough upside to take a chance on at 20 then that so be it(even though I don't agree), but re-signing Ian and drafting a big is essentially wasting the pick.

[AFBlue]

Paying a 7th big guaranteed first round money is pretty foolish(don't forget the tax dollars)...especially with the gaping hole at SF.

If the Spurs feel that someone like Whiteside has enough upside to take a chance on at 20 then that so be it(even though I don't agree), but re-signing Ian and drafting a big is essentially wasting the pick.

Yeah, I don't think that the Spurs would draft a shot-blocking big at #20 and then turn around and re-sign Ian. I actually don't have much hope for Ian re-signing, which is why I think it's possible they draft a F/C at #20.

My first preference, like yours, is for the Spurs to go with a SF in the first, but his potential may be too good to pass up.

Question: Have the Spurs had him in for a workout, or has the only exposure to him been at the combine?

[AFBlue]

I just looked on the main draft discussion thread and he's not listed as someone the Spurs have worked out or even interviewed. I guess that means any ties to the Spurs' pick at #20 is pure speculation.

The only "shot blocker" they have had in for a workout is Jarvis Varnado. He certainly doesn't have the measureables of Whiteside, but the shot-blocking productivity is there.

[TimDunkem]

I reeeeally hope Varnado drops to our second rounder....

[TimDunkem]

Not likely, if he fall to the second round I see NY picking him with one of thier 2 first rounders.
Yeah, it's wishful thinking on my part really.

[ChuckD]

Not likely, if he fall to the second round I see NY picking him with one of thier 2 first rounders.

New York? Doesn't really seem like a D'Antoni player.

[ChuckD]

A long athletic big who can beat guys down the floor and finish around the rim on the break plus is a great rebounder and shot blocker, hes a perfect fit.

D'Antoni doesn't give a shit about blocked shots or any other aspect of defense. If this kid doesn't have a consistant 16-18 foot jumper, he'll never see the floor. All five positions of a D'Antoni offense have to be able to either create or shoot.

[Chieflion]

D'Antoni doesn't give a shit about blocked shots or any other aspect of defense. If this kid doesn't have a consistant 16-18 foot jumper, he'll never see the floor. All five positions of a D'Antoni offense have to be able to either create or shoot.


Hassan Whiteside is one of the more intriguing players in this draft, and you can see why from his situations statistics.

With a usage of 12.8 possessions per-game that ranks him just above average, Whiteside scored on a very solid 56.8% of his overall touches and turned the ball over at a low 13% rate.

Whiteside received just 27% of his touches in the post, one of the lowest marks on our center rankings. Despite that fact, he scored 61.1% of those touches, good for third on our list. He was fouled on 16.1% of those shots, ranking him second. Whiteside was able to make a nice impact on the block despite his lack of lower body strength, showing a nice hook shot and unique touch for a player his age.

Outside of the post, Whiteside used his length to generate 2.9 possessions per-game from offensive rebounds (3rd). Showing impressive versatility, 26% of Whiteside’s shot were jumpers, the top mark in our sample. Making 40% of those shots and finishing at a highly respective 64.1% clip, Whiteside is one of the most unique talents in this draft. His ability to score from the outside at his height is incredible, he was one of the most impressive shot blockers in the NCAA last season, and shows the potential to score in multiple situations.

This guy has the best jump shot in this draft class for a big and he takes a lot of them to prove it is not a small sample. I am sorry to say this, but he would definitely be drafted in the 1st round, barring any weird health conditions.

[ChuckD]

I reeeeally hope Varnado drops to our second rounder....


Not likely, if he fall to the second round I see NY picking him with one of thier 2 first rounders.


Yeah, it's wishful thinking on my part really.


New York? Doesn't really seem like a D'Antoni player.


A long athletic big who can beat guys down the floor and finish around the rim on the break plus is a great rebounder and shot blocker, hes a perfect fit.


D'Antoni doesn't give a shit about blocked shots or any other aspect of defense. If this kid doesn't have a consistant 16-18 foot jumper, he'll never see the floor. All five positions of a D'Antoni offense have to be able to either create or shoot.

[Chieflion]

Ya, cool, stop hijacking this thread for Varnado, because he has his own thread. This is about Hassan Whiteside.

[ChuckD]

Ya, cool, stop hijacking this thread for Varnado, because he has his own thread. This is about Hassan Whiteside.

I participated, but didn't actually do the hijacking, so, no apology. It's funny that, being a hijacker yourself, you didn't even see the hijacking until it was shoved right into your face. No hijack detection points for you.

[Chieflion]

I participated, but didn't actually do the hijacking, so, no apology. It's funny that, being a hijacker yourself, you didn't even see the hijacking until it was shoved right into your face. No hijack detection points for you.

Wow, so you participated and didn't hijack? The same could be said for me. I was just commenting on the nbadraft.net mock. So I am hijacking. Good job at twisting the standards of hijacking, sir.

[ChuckD]

Wow, so you participated and didn't hijack? The same could be said for me. I was just commenting on the nbadraft.net mock. So I am hijacking. Good job at twisting the standards of hijacking, sir.

OK, so we both hijacked, but you failed to detect it until it was pointed out.

I win!!

[Chieflion]

OK, so we both hijacked, but you failed to detect it until it was pointed out.

I win!!

If a win on the internet makes a Knicks fan happy, you can take that anyday. LOL winning on the internet over trivial matters makes Knick fan happy.

[AFBlue]

I blame myself for the Varnado hijacking...since it was me who dropped the name in the first place.

[ChuckD]

If a win on the internet makes a Knicks fan happy, you can take that anyday. LOL winning on the internet over trivial matters makes Knick fan happy.

If you haven't figured out that I'm not really a Knicks fan, but that putting it there would go with a ChuckD identity, you're even slower that I thought.

[The Truth #6]

So you're just posing to create a more nuanced message board persona? That's quick.

[ChuckD]

So you're just posing to create a more nuanced message board persona? That's quick.

Whatever happened to truths #1-5?

[duncan228]

NBA Draft: The Lottery Pick You Haven’t Seen Yet (http://dimemag.com/2010/06/nba-draft-the-lottery-pick-you-havent-seen-yet/)
By Austin Burton
Dime

The NBA Draft is typically overstocked with two types of big men: (1) High-profile guys who went to high-profile schools and have teams just as intrigued with their potential as they are afraid they’ll be a bust, and (2) So-called “undersized” bigs who go underrated annually (http://dimemag.com/2010/06/who-will-be-the-next-big-baby/) and have to prove themselves in an uphill battle from Day One.

Hassan Whiteside doesn’t fit either description. The 7-foot freshman was an unheralded recruit who burst onto the scene this season at Marshall, leading the nation with 5.4 blocks per game. Whiteside is projected to go anywhere from the Top-10 to later in the 20’s (http://dimemag.com/2010/03/dime-nba-draft-profile-hassan-whiteside/), but whichever team gets him, odds are their fan base won’t know anything about their new project.

Back in Dime #56, while he was just making a name for himself in Conference-USA, I profiled Whiteside in a “What’s My Name?” article:

*** *** ***

Humble as he tries to be during interviews, the MySpace page doesn’t lie.

Hassan Whiteside, freshman center at Marshall University who is the best shot-blocker in the country this side of Jarvis Varnado, lets the subhead on his profile say what he won’t say out loud: “I dare u 2 jump wit me.”

A native of Gastonia, N.C. (hometown of James Worthy) who snuck up on the NCAA scene, the 7-foot, 235-pound Whiteside was averaging 13.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.4 blocks per game at press time. Through late-February he was leading the nation in total blocks and blocks per game over Varnado, Mississippi State’s senior All-American candidate who holds the NCAA’s all-time blocks record (http://dimemag.com/2010/02/jarvis-varnado-breaks-the-ncaa-record-for-blocks-and-nobody-cares/). This season, Whiteside already has three triple-doubles — dropping 14 points, 14 boards and 10 blocks against Central Florida, and 14-17-11 against NAIA school Brescia, then another 14-11-13 on Central Florida — plus a 14-point, 17-board, 9-block effort against Ohio. According to some mock draft websites, he is projected to go as high as No. 2 in the 2011 NBA Draft, or at least in the Lottery should he go pro this summer.

“My job is just to be a big presence down low,” Hassan says. “Blocking shots, getting rebounds, scoring — whatever it takes to win, basically. That’s always been my M.O.”

Hassan is the son of former NFL defensive end Hasson Arbubakrr, who played two years with the Vikings and Buccaneers in the 1980s. Told from an early age by doctors that he’d grow to be around seven feet tall, Hassan was a 6-5 junior wing at East Side H.S. in Newark, N.J., before a seven-inch growth spurt between his junior and senior year put him on the radar of recruiters across the country. Transferring to The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C., he had offers from the likes of UConn, Louisville, South Carolina and St. John’s before choosing Marshall.

“I wanted to change people’s perception about Marshall,” Whiteside says. “It’s a program on the rise, and I really liked the coaches. They’re really hands-on with the players and want to work with you.”

West Virginia sophomore forward Kevin Jones (http://dimemag.com/2010/04/kevin-jones-west-virginia-final-four-diary-the-end-of-the-road/) played AAU ball with Hassan, and he saw him go for 18 points, six boards and two blocks when the 9th-ranked Mountaineers beat Marshall in January.

“He’s very talented, very athletic,” Jones says. “He can shoot better than I thought he could, so that makes him that much more valuable to his team. He’ll have a great career there. He’s such a good shot-blocker, you just have to try and get him off his feet and maybe get him in foul trouble. He can get your shot from anywhere.”

A week after the West Virginia game, Whiteside put up 22 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks in a close loss to Conference-USA stalwart Memphis.

“Rebounding and blocking shots is kind of natural to me. The more experience I get in games, the better I’m getting at it,” Whiteside says. “It’s just reading the ball off the rim and reading people’s bodies when they lay it up. I guess having a 7-7 wingspan never hurts, either.

“I watch film on guys like Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning,” he adds. “Those guys were never scared of getting dunked on. Mourning said a good shot-blocker is never scared to get dunked on.”

Although the C-USA could technically be considered a major conference, they’ve basically been a mid-major ever since losing Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, South Florida and Louisville to the Big East in 2005. That was the same year Marshall joined the conference, and around the same time Memphis began dominating what many analysts call a one-horse race. Whiteside is hoping to shift the power balance before he’s done; at press time, the Thundering Herd were 22-7 overall (10-4 conference), right on the heels of leaders Memphis, UAB and UTEP.

“The name on the jersey doesn’t make the school better. It doesn’t make you a better player,” Whiteside says. “I come into games thinking I’m the most underrated player out there and we’re the most underrated team, so I have that chip on my shoulder.”

[timvp]

The Spurs only need to ask Whiteside one question: Are you willing to play in the D-League for two years?

My guess is he'd say no. For some reason, Whiteside thinks he's God's gift to basketball and extremely overvalues himself. The upside is huge but the chances of reaching that upside is like 1% due to his attitude and apparent lack of work ethic or professionalism.

[ABrooks111]

Not interested in the least. SA needs to win now and this guy won't be a contributor until Duncan is retired.


He could potentially be a good big in the Association though.

[DirkISaCocLuvinPuSSy]

This guy's gunna be a defense beast type, wish the spurs could get him he'll be gone by then. A project but worth it.

[Mr Bones]

Whiteside had 5 blocks in his first summer league game, played more minutes than DeMarcus Cousins, and led the team in +/-. Detroit was held to 68 points on 35% FG shooting. A very nice start for him.

[DespЏrado]

Whiteside had 5 blocks in his first summer league game, played more minutes than DeMarcus Cousins, and led the team in +/-. Detroit was held to 68 points on 35% FG shooting. A very nice start for him.

Save the bump for when it matters. If he's a head case likely he won't make it past his rookie contract.
/Premature ejaculation forum.

[Mr Bones]

Save the bump for when it matters. If he's a head case likely he won't make it past his rookie contract.
/Premature ejaculation forum.

I said it was a very nice start for him. Relax.

[rascal]

This guy is going to be better than Splitter.

[mystargtr34]

lol

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Save the bump for when it matters. If he's a head case likely he won't make it past his rookie contract.
/Premature ejaculation forum.

kill yourself

[iManu]

kill yourself

:bobo