7. Hassan Whiteside, Portland Trail Blazers
Hassan Whiteside’s career has been a roller coaster, bringing him from the D-League to instant stardom, earning him a mammoth contract, then finding him often in coach Erik Spoelstra’s dog house and becoming a scapegoat whenever the Heat stumbled. A summer trade sends him to Portland for a fresh start, but he is highly likely to decline.
Whiteside is 30 years old and will be joining a team heavily dependent on their guards for offense. In the past, Whiteside has shown a decided penchant for reduced effort when he does not get touches early and consistently.
The book on Whiteside is that he prefers to slip screens as frequently as possible, but the Blazers have been accustomed to having a good screener in Jusuf Nurkic to create space for Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. If Whiteside slips off of screens in hopes of getting a pass or if he loafs on defense when he is not getting touches, he may see his role on the team suddenly diminished.
When Jusuf Nurkic returns from injury, Whiteside will then face yet another obstacle to earning playing time. All in all, the 2019-20 season may well be Hassan Whiteside’s weakest to date.