3 Reasons Why the Toronto Raptors Should Sign Hassan Whiteside
Hassan Whiteside has the skills to get the Toronto Raptors to the next level.
It’s kinda wild how 2-time block champ Hassan Whiteside isn’t on a team right now.
He’s a capable center who spent last season backing up the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert. And even though he played limited minutes, he didn’t do a bad job.
He played 65 games and started 8. In just under 18 minutes of play per game, he averaged 8.2 points on 65 percent shooting, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks.
And remember, those stats are from a guy coming off the bench.
Whiteside is a good center. And I think the Toronto Raptors should pick him up.
Here are 3 reasons why:
He’s a good rim protector
The Raptors were horrible when it came to protecting the rim last season.
Their best shot blocker, Chris Boucher, only averaged 0.9 blocks per game. No one else on the team averaged more than that (or even matched that). Additionally, they were 17th overall in blocks per game.
Whiteside can help them improve in this department.
He’s a two-time block champion and a one-time All-Defensive player. And, as I mentioned earlier, he averaged 1.6 blocks per game last season.
That’s a really good number considering he came off of the bench and played behind Rudy Gobert, who is currently an All-Defensive player.
He’s a good rebounder
Similar to their situation with rim protection, the Raptors were horrendous when it came to defensive rebounding last season.
They ranked last overall with 32 defensive rebounds per game. As a comparison, the best rebounding team, the Milwaukee Bucks, averaged 36.5 per game last season.
In 2021-22, Whiteside averaged 5.0 defensive rebounds per game coming off of the bench (that’s 1.6 less than the Raptors’ best rebounder, Pascal Siakam, who played 38 minutes per game).
But aside from his skill, he would help the Raptors snatch more rebounds because he’s a big guy who can use his big body and strength to get into positions and fight for rebounds.
Whiteside would also fair better in battles against big centers on opposing teams.
He can be a good mentor for Christian Koloko
The Raptors selected Christian Koloko in the draft this season and Whiteside can be a good mentor for him.
Currently, the team doesn’t have anyone with a similar style or skillset to Koloko. Khem Birch would be the closest one, but Whiteside has so much more skill and experience that he could pass down to the young center.
He could teach him the tricks of the trade and how to use his size to his advantage.
Final Thoughts
So, these are 3 reasons why I think the Raptors should try to acquire Hassan Whiteside. He’s a big guy with lots of experience and he can be a good teacher.
But do you think he would be a good addition to the team?
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