Portland Trail Blazers: Who is the team’s third best player?

Hassan Whiteside

Though he may look sluggish and unmotivated at times, Hassan Whiteside has been nothing short of spectacular for the Trail Blazers this season. Rip City devotees have yet to see how he meshes with Nurkic, but the Marshall product has owned the paint for Portland in his first year with the team.

On a contract year, Whiteside leads the NBA with 3.1 blocks per game, which has helped the Blazers ascend to second in the league with 6.2 swats per game. For context, the team ranked 18th in the league in blocks per game last season with 5.1. Even on shots he doesn’t reject, the 30-year-old big man disrupts everything within his vicinity. If not for the world-beating efforts of Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Whiteside would have a decent shot for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Furthermore, Whiteside ranks second in the Association with 14.2 rebounds per game to go with his 16.3 points per clip and 61.8 shooting percentage. He’s provided much-needed efficiency on a team that relies so heavily on jump shots and struggles in that department. As a team, Portland is shooting 51.3 percent from the floor, which ranks 23rd in the league.

Whiteside has more than legitimized the Trail Blazers coughing up Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard for his services this past offseason. Some might even say that the Blazers made out like bandits.