Miami Heat: 5 Reasons Hassan Whiteside Is For Real

Reason No. 2: Physical Profile

The problem with Hassan Whiteside was never his physical ability.

At nearly 7-feet tall in shoes and a 7-foot-7-inch wingspan, plus a max-vertical (31.5 inches) that rivals the most athletic centers in the NBA, Whiteside had pretty much every physical trait you would look for in the modern NBA center.

So what went wrong? Why couldn’t he break onto the NBA scene until nearly five years until after he was drafted?

If you simply Google search “Hassan Whiteside attitude,” you will quickly understand the situation. According to ESPN’s Amin Elhassan, Whiteside had a sense of entitlement and didn’t think that he needed to work on his game. He was a classic case of a talented player who simply did not have it together mentally.

For whatever reason, it is together now. Maybe being cut from the NBA team that drafted him lit a fire under him. Perhaps having to grind through lesser leagues overseas did it. No matter the true reason, it seems as though he has found his motivation.

Combine that motivation with a physical profile that had scouts drooling when he was draft-eligible and you have the new Whiteside. This player profile by ESPN lauded the pick, and NBADraft.net was all over his potential as a defensive anchor.

Whiteside’s rise isn’t truly out of nowhere, and he has the physical ability to dominate in the NBA.

Next: Locking Down The Paint