Miami Heat: 5 goals for Hassan Whiteside in 2017-18
4. Earn a place on the NBA All-Defensive First Team
Two years ago, Hassan Whiteside emerged as the most dominant shot-blocking force in the NBA.
Not only did Whiteside lead the NBA with 269 blocks and an average of 3.7 rejections per game, he became just the fifth player ever to swat away 250 shots while playing fewer than 2,200 minutes since the league began tracking blocks as an official statistic in 1972-73.
For his efforts, Whiteside was placed on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, as his shot-blocking total was 92 more than any other player in the league during the 2015-16 season.
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Opponents began changing their shooting patterns anytime Whiteside was defending. He was challenged nearly one time fewer per game on shots within six feet of the rim last season, part of the reason he fell to fourth overall in blocks per game, averaging 2.1 per night.
Whiteside still was an intimidating defender, as opponents shot 10.3 percent below their season average on shot attempts within six feet of the rim.
The Defensive Player of the Year race will likely come down to Whiteside, Rudy Gobert, DeAndre Jordan, Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green.
Supplanting any of them as the top defender in the league will be a challenge, but not completely out of reach for Whiteside, as he can rack up impressive block totals.
Even if he doesn’t claim Defensive Player of the Year honors, earning a place on the NBA All-Defensive First Team could be within reach.