When I talked with Sam Vecenie about the Lakers’ offseason, he asked me to make one bold prediction for this summer. I asked Sam if it was bold to say the Lakers would sign Hassan Whiteside in free agency. After all, there have been murmurs of the Lakers’ interest in the Heat big man and he fills an obvious need.
Fast forward a few weeks and Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne are reporting the Lakers interest is quite real and they plan to target Whiteside when free agency opens on July 1st:
The Los Angeles Lakers plan to aggressively pursue Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside when NBA free agency starts, according to league sources.
With rim protection and perimeter shooting ranking as the Lakers’ foremost areas of concern heading into the open market, sources told ESPN that Whiteside has emerged as a priority target.
The report further notes that Whiteside is expected to command a maximum salary and, while not spelled out directly, the expectation is the Lakers would be willing to offer that amount. With a projected $94 million dollar cap, the starting salary for Whiteside earning the max would be $22.2 million in year one and would total nearly $95 million over a 4 year deal.
That, my friends, is a lot of coin.
Determining whether Whiteside is worth that money is, in some (but not all) ways, irrelevant to this discussion. Someone will pay him that money. It should be noted the Heat can pay him more than that (they can offer 7.5% raises since they hold his early Bird rights, teams like the Lakers can only offer 4.5% annual raises), but it’s yet to be seen if they will or not. There have already been rumors they won’t and there are questions whether their pursuit of Kevin Durant (or other FA’s) will impact how aggressively they move in re-inking Whiteside.
For the Lakers, though, there should be few questions — though few does not mean “none”. Even if Stein and Shelburne weren’t already reporting the Lakers’ plans, this player (or ones who come close to replicating what he provides) should be the target(s) in free agency. The Lakers desperately need a long term solution at Center, and specifically one who does the things Whiteside does on both ends of the court.
One thing the Lakers will sorely need is a big man who can be a force as a finisher in the P&R. Whiteside is one of the best in the league at that, sporting good hands and an ability to catch on the move, especially on lobs for dunk finishes. His massive wingspan and excellent frame give him an enormous catch radius, translating to even bad passes being received with at least the potential to end up with a good shot at the rim. Whiteside also has good touch around the rim, showing a nice jump hook and some solid post work where he is able to get to his sweet spots.
Defensively you will find some debate about how impactful a team defender he is, but he led the league in blocked shots by a wide margin and has a paint presence defensively which cannot be denied. Per NBA Savant, teams only shot 52.5% in the restricted area against Whiteside — the league average is 60.3%. And while the Heat’s defensive efficiency for the year was about the same when Whiteside was on the floor vs. when he sat, post all-star break Miami was over 3 points/100 possessions better with him in the game.
All this seems so straight forward, but of course nothing ever is. If Whiteside were the traditional can’t-miss, force of a big man, there would be no questions about free agent value to any team. But Whiteside is a 27 year old who bounced around the NBA, D-League, and elsewhere before finally breaking through with the Heat this past season. There have been questions about his maturity, selfishness, and how that will all translate after he receives a fat contract. Read some comments his teammates have made about his year and, well…they’re not always great.
As for his game, there are also cracks here which matter. He’s not only not a very good passer, he often doesn’t look like a willing one. Defensively he can be too ball focused, tracking for blocks too often and hurting the continuity of his team’s scheme in the process. There’s a reason the Heat had a better defensive rebounding percentage when Whiteside was on the bench vs. when he was in the game. Challenging shots he shouldn’t have been led to zero help on the backside where his man could clean up for misses.
He’s also not the type of big who can consistently switch in the P&R and defend a wing on the perimeter in isolation. The Heat often had him sit well below ball screens and there were times he was not as active as he could have been when showing out or challenging the dribbler before he got a head of steam going to the basket.
These things aren’t deal breakers, but they do matter in the bigger picture. When taken in the aggregate, it’s worth questioning if the trade-off between paint protection and offensive rebounding is worth it; wether the trade-off between some of the three point shots which will get surrendered when guards get hung up on screens and the type of mid-range jumpers more often forced are worth it. It is also fair to wonder if he’s not a featured part of the offense whether he will always be as engaged as needed on the other end of the floor.
I won’t pretend to know the answers to these questions or to be able to speak to how those trade-offs will play out over an 82 game season. I also won’t pretend to know whether him getting his first major contract of his career will impact how hungry he is. Maybe doubts aren’t just fair, but justified. Maybe not.
What I do know is that we will find out. Whether he’s on the Lakers or not. Because someone will pay him that money. Whichever team does sign him, though, will want to have the type of organizational culture and locker room structure to help facilitate and get the most out of him. Will the Lakers have that next season with Luke Walton and, potentially, a few other key veteran signings? We cannot say now for sure.
But, what is clear, is that they are willing to find out. As they should be. The things he does well are too much of a need for them not to.
Joseph says
Things things aren’t deal breakers, but they do matter in the bigger picture.
I’m sure you meant to say These things?
Rob says
I have posited this in another comment section, but I’ll say it again. The Lakers need a center. At the end of their bench they have two seven-footers, Ryan Kelley and Robert Sacre. If I saw that my team had a need for a center, and that they were beating the bushes around the league for someone to bring in, I would bust my butt to get more athletic, work on my post moves, increase my vertical. In other words, anything I could to maintain my roster spot and contribute to the team. I would make it a point of pride to try to be better than anyone they were going to bring in. I have heard nothing about Kelley or Sacre doing anything of the sort this summer. In this summer of high hopes and expectations, it is disappointing that these two players are seemingly content to tread water, while the younger players are working so hard.
sam says
sacre and Kelly are totally irrelevant — sorry
whiteside has lots of questions marks but I am all in to roll the dice and hope for the best– to be relevant the lakers have to get lucky that whiteside is the real deal and matures on and off the court — take the gamble
and it is a great sign if we can get him to commit over his other options — skeptical but hopeful
if he signs I actually really believe we will land one of batum, barnes or parsons
at that point we are done except hopefully to line up a few veteran role players
R says
Re: Kelley/Sacre, maybe the Lakers have a partial answer to that issue in the young man they just drafted at #32.
Comrade says
Whiteside should be the number one priority on July 1st. From comments I’ve heard him make he seems like a guy who needs his ego stroked. The front office should be more than happy to oblige and sell him on being next in line in the Lakers tradition of great big men.
Comrade says
Agreed. I will be hugely disappointed if either of these guys are on the roster next season.
Joseph says
Rob, Ryan Kelly wasn’t a 7′. Near 7′ yes but he was a 6’10 stretch 4. Sacre is never going to get better and I think he knows the writing is on the wall. He’s going overseas or to the D-League. Kelly needs a team that can better utilize his skills as a stretch 4.
Gus says
While I’d be pleased with Whiteside, I wonder whether Al Horford would be a better fit? He’s obviously older and not the defensive freak Whiteside is. But, he is a true professional and would be a great role model to our young players. He is a threat from distance, lessening the pressure on Julius to develop a 3pt shot. Also I think he would be still be solid in 2 or so years when we hopefully have signed some more talent and our young guys have developed and are ready to make a deep run. Thoughts?
Chris J says
I’m supportive of chasing Whiteside. The money doesn’t matter because A) it’s not mine or any fans and B) the Lakers are going to have to spend anyway, so why not make a max offer for someone who fills so many apparent holes on the court?
The locker room risks are, to me, overstated. I say that because if he really were a cancer, Riley wouldn’t have jumped out and said keeping this guy was Miami’s top priority this summer. And I’d much rather have him than Horford, who is three years older and won’t affect the defense as well as Whiteside would. If he is block happy, so be it. Randle is a very good rebounder who could help offset whatever Whiteside gives up in trying to protect the rim.
Let’s hope the kid can be swayed by Walton, the appeal of L.A. and the chance to build something around some talented youngsters. Other teams may be seen as more appealing, but he’s worth a shot — even if it requires a max deal. I don’t see any other realistic targets out there who would be a better candidate for the Lakers’ money this summer.
pacclerouge says
I think you underevaluate Whiteside’s weaknesses. With 2,4 ast%, he’s not only a very willing passer, he just doesn’t pass the ball at all while turning it over a lot. If we were about to run a PnR àla MDA, that would not be too damaging for our offense. But since you are quite familiar with the Warriors’ offensive principles, you know Big Men with good reads and feel are quite important. Whiteside is going to be a ball stopper, so basically if you are not looking for him to finish, you are going to avoid him. To me, it’s like playing 4 vs 5.
And defensively, well the stats that show his impact on/off the floor is about the same is another red flag. He won’t improve our defense the same Hibbert didn’t do the past season. And Hibbert understood collective defense. Switching on defense kind of became a must nowadays and with Whiteside and Zubac, we would not be able to do so.
We should go all-in on Al Horford, that all I’m saying. If we prefer to go after a defensive center, I’d rather bring Biyombo (same offensive weaknesses but better defense overall). Because we could regret this huge contract big time.
matt says
Heat players with contracts next year, Bosh 23 mil, dragic 16 mil, McRoberts 6 mil, winslow 4 mil…..total 48 mil….projected cap 94 mil…money heat have left 46 mil….whiteside max 22 mil…..money left after signing whiteside, 24 mil…..
Roster
C. Whiteside
Pf. Bosh
Sf. Winslow
Sg.
Pg. Dragic
Bench. McRoberts
Needs… with 24 mil to spend
Starting shooting guard
2 bench guards
1 bench forward
1 bench center
If they sign whiteside they will lose alot of games
Only way it would work is if bosh retires
Laker Down Under says
The other extremely important, yet little spoken of point around Whiteside is the fact that he will be in high demand from other teams. Securing him as a free agent sends a strong message that the Lakers are being chosen by big time players that have choices elsewhere. For me this is a critical point (nearly as critical as his basketball skills )that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Yueh_Fei says
If we can only sign him to 4 years that’s a blessing in disguise. In 4 years we can have our pick of any center combination in the league. And I’d like to see a Randke/Whiteside big man pick and roll. If they get that down, with shooters like Russell and Ingram, and an athletic shooter/cutter like Clarkson, that’s a backbreaking end of quarter and end of game offensive set. Draymond Green wishes he could run pick and rolls with Bogut and Ezeli ….
Anonymous says
Unlike when artest joined the lakers there will be no Kobe type leader to keep Whiteside in check. Whiteside will be one of the vets and I hope he doesnt teach the young players bad habits and provide a bad locker room example. I watched some of his flagrant fouls from the last two seasons and he seems like a hot head or a bone head. Totally unnecessary conduct on the court and on repeated occasions. Is it worth risking the team culture on this guy whose contract will be up when the youngsters hit their prime in 4-5 more years?
Any_one_mouse says
I don’t know if Whiteside is a max player at this point. The body of work is too small, and the attitude a giant red flag. I’d rather spend less on Gasol (if we can sell him on ending his NBA career with us) or Tyson Chandler. Willie Cauley-Stein (if we can rescue him from the train-wreck that is the Kings) or Gorgui Dieng from the Wolves are other options.
To be clear, we aren’t going anywhere this next year. Why not let the young ones grow in a positive environment, while preserving cap space for the future?
I don’t buy the argument that we have to spend money now. There’s a difference between spending 48M this year (or whatever the minimum is) and losing 22M a year for the next 4. We have an opportunity to truly grow us a team – let’s enjoy that process. Cashing in on a top 3 pick in next year’s deep draft pool is not a bad outcome…
matt says
For Miami, it could work if they just resign most of their players from last year, in that case they could go over the cap, with wade at about 20 mil, deng at 15 mil, stoudamire at 10 mil. And two guards a 6 mil each. That’s ruffly 57 mil. + the 70 mil listed above. Their salary would be 127 mil. And it would be the same team as last year. You could take out deng and stoudamire and replace them with mid level players, and your still at about 110 mil.
My estimate is heat have a 12-15% chance of resigning whiteside, lakers and about 5 other teams have the same odds. ( portland, Dallas, Houston, Boston and charlotte, are the competition)
But I’m probably wrong about this.
rr says
Is it worth risking the team culture on this guy whose contract will be up when the youngsters hit their prime in 4-5 more years?
==
As suggested by DS, this is where Walton comes in. There is clearly a belief among the FO, the players, and the fanbase that Walton can be a Kerr-type communicator/leader, and Walton said himself that he sees himself as having strong similarities to Kerr. Dealing successfully with a guy with the kinds of question marks that follow Whiteside is part of what Walton will be getting paid to do.
Two other points:
1. Although Whiteside is 27, he doesn’t have that much NBA mileage on his legs yet.
2. I would rather have a guy with talent and a questionable attitude than the reverse. By all accounts, Robert Sacre has a great attitude.
Signing a guy with Whiteside’s track record to a max deal is obviously not the Platonic ideal of what you would want the Lakers to be doing or of the opportunities that you would want them to have. But looking at the whole game board, I think he is the best option right now. That said, if they miss on him, and the odds are that they will, I would be fine with Biyombo or Mahinmi.
As to Horford and Noah: Horford is a four-time All-Star who just turned 30, and he is not a franchise anchor. Going after him would not make much more sense than going after Aldridge did, and like Aldridge with leaving Portland to go to San Antonio, IMO Horford will leave Atlanta only to put himself in better position to play on a clear, no-questions top-tier contender. I see no reason to think that Horford would have any interest in playing for the Lakers.
I talked about Noah a couple of weeks ago. I do not see him as a fit for the Lakers at all.
matt says
Remember whiteside had the highest per of all centers last year. 25.69
Roy hibbert per was 11.24
matt says
It looks like Atlanta made trades just to free up cap space to resign horford
What do you think of signing biyombo, to make him a starter
Yueh_Fei says
I think Metta will be around. And I’d like him to be around, actually, as a practice guy and a 15th man.
Mark Sims says
It’s so hard to believe you’ll ever amount to a real journalist when you source an article about his teammates commenting on this year.. And the article is a year old. Don’t quit your day job since this article offers nothing but the same old same old that you could get from sites like Silver Screen and Roll
Michael says
Biyombo and Ezeli would both be good fits. They both rotate well on defense and aren’t shot-block happy. Better defenders typically keep their feet on the ground.
John Citizen says
Based on recent history, i have very little expectations that Mitch would attract any significant free agent. One could only hope. They should bring Bass if totally missed everything (wouldn’t be surprising), play small ball and develop Subac for the occasional match ups against Gasol or a like. I would also Talk to Denver and check their asking price for Nurkic, if only future drafts, , i will do it.
Kris says
Not to mention the fact that Miami does not hold his early bird rights and thus cannot pay him more money than other teams. They cannot go past thesalary cap to sign him which is why he is likely to leave in the first place
BigCitySid says
– C-Whiteside, PF-Randle, SF-Ingram, PG-Russell, SG-Williams, Bench: Clarkson, Bass, Nance, & Young, a Laker team that will have my interest & hold my attention.
– For the 1st time in over 3 seasons, conversations will be about the future, not the past
minorthreatt says
I’m with rr on this: if they sign Whiteside, it’s also a sign that they trust Luke to keep him in check. That’s a tall order for a rookie coach — clearly Whiteside has on- and off-court issues with his attitude. But if he didn’t have those issues, the Lakers wouldn’t be a possibility. It’s a gamble, but they’re gambling not just on Whiteside, but on Luke as well.
Though I’m in the sign Whiteside camp, Mikey’s comments from the last thread are points well-taken, and the mouse ears line made me laugh.
minorthreatt says
Any_One: I really liked WCS in last year’s draft (before we found we were picking at #2) and think Luke could do great things with him in a GS-style defense. I don’t think we match up with the Kings in terms of what they’d want…but the way that franchise is run, who knows?
Warren Wee Lim says
People complain about Whiteside, as if his troubles led to any distractions. Of course Miami would paint such a picture to discourage other teams… Hassan Whiteside is too valuable to them to lose, and by majority angles, they would.
The Heat, if they can find a taker for Josh McBob, can get up to 42M in space. Yes, if they can find a dumpee for McBob before free agency begins. Then apart from that, they’d need to convince Dwyane Wade to 1. stay; and 2. re-sign for less. At the moment, Wade’s cap hold is at 30M. So if they fail to renounce or resign Wade quickly, Whiteside is out.
Look for Dallas to be our #1 competitor. Marc Cuban has hots for the fella and he lives in a state that has no income tax.
I say we’ve got the upside on Hassan but it will require Walton to be on the pitch to guarantee him touches, to be integral part of the offense and to be “the man” in LA. Some people won’t like that, but that’s what its going to take.
Baylor Fan says
There is a lot to like about Whiteside’s game. One is that he improved his free throw shooting to where he is no longer a candidate for hack-a-Shaq. His ability to control the paint on both ends would be a refreshing change for the Lakers. On the other hand, his passing would need to improve greatly to work with a GS style offense. His decision making on defense would also have to improve greatly to be a force in later playoff rounds. Steven Adams made some spectacular plays for OKC against GS that you just cannot teach. In the moment, he made quick, accurate decisions and acted on them.
Next year’s Lakers are desperate for a player of Whiteside’s abilities. If their second round pick matures as projected that would be less true after next season. Maybe it would be better to pursue Noah who is a much better fit for a GS style offense and work on developing Zubac.
Anon#1 says
Denver and check their asking price for Nurkic, if only future drafts, , i will do it.
__
The earliest 1st round draft pick the Lakers can trade is 2019. I think that negates using a pick in any near term deals . Still unwinding from the DHoward and Nash deals.
The Lakers have been very lucky to have drafted where and select who they did. Can you imagine having the #3 picks in each of these last two drafts and then still being handcuffed by our 1st round pick commitments? The Lakers could very well be looking at a lost decade.
Instead we have a solid foundation and a much brighter future. We really need to be thankful for how this has all played out.
Anon#1 says
Biyombo and Ezeli would both be good fits
__
They would also take a combine $20+ mil a year to sign. The FO has to be careful not to spend their cap space foolishly.
Ezeli makes sense on a rookie deal but not so much when his price tag hits ten figures — he’s a backup. Biyombo is a nice alternative to Whiteside but he doesn’t have the skill set you want for a motion offense — he has no moves down low and can’t pass well.
Honestly, I’d go after Whiteside and if I struck out I’d think long and hard about punting at the center spot this year and waiting for next year.
matt says
What are whitesides character issues???
LKK says
My instincts tell me Whiteside, while undeniably the sexy choice, would not be a good fit with the young pieces that the Lakers have acquired thus far. He reminds me, as rr said, of Andrew Bynum in many respects. I’ll never forget how excited I was when Bynum destroyed Amare Stoudemire and the Suns on Christmas Day early in his career, pre- injury. I thought I was witnessing the young Laker who would carry the torch in the post-Kobe years. Injury, a sense of contentment and entitlement and Andrew’s quirky personality soon proved that idea without merit.
Another big who shares Hassan’s traits is Dwight Howard. Both see themselves as a great offensive option and seem unwilling to accept that the role they could best provide which would lead to true team success. Defense, rebounding and doing the things that only a 7 footer can do is what Whiteside needs to concentrate on. Sure he can finish on the alley pop. Can he unselfishly support perimeter scorers like Clarkson, Russell and Ingram? That’s where I have my biggest concerns.
I would target Timofey Mosgov this off season if the choice were mine. He is the type of player who is used to accepting a reduced scoring role while still bringing good production. I’m not sure about his knee issues, but if healthy, I think he would provide the solid, if unspectacular play that would mesh well with the younger Lakers. A combo of Mosgov, the #32 pick, (whose name escapes me at the moment) and Tarik Black and Bass would cover the Lakers’ needs at the five and would have the advantage of being affordable and of providing the team with versatile bigs.
Whiteside, if he’s ready to be a true pro and maximize his potential on the floor is a great choice. I’m just not sure he is based on the way he has approached things in the past.
JOMO
Just One Man’s opinion
Kareeme says
I would really love it if we got Whiteside. People are dissecting his game and limitations, but I think we also have to acknowledge his non-traditional trajectory and how there is still “upside” to his game. Outside of the last season and a half, he has had very little NBA level coaching and play. When pundits say that he still has a great deal of potential, they are speaking to how he is still learning the ropes of NBA defensive and offensive schemes.
As to his “character issues”, I think that there is a bit of a double standard for a player like Whiteside. He is expected to be “tough” and “hard-nosed” and an “enforcer”, but only to the extent that it benefits the team. Displaying those qualities as a big requires a great deal of emotional commitment. Those fouls are definitely tough to watch and destructive to the team dynamic, but that passion is also what makes him a dynamic player. The same could be said for Draymond Green. Good news is, Whiteside reduced his technical fouls and ejections from the 2014-15 season. Is that a sign that he is adjusting to the pro-game?
Darius Soriano says
For those who took issue with the link I included about Whiteside’s teammates comments, here is a link to an article from January of this year that I was looking for but could not find:
http://heatzone.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/01/14/heat-whiteside-not-on-same-wavelength/
Bosh’s quotes, in particular, stood out to me. He seemed to go out of his way to discuss Whiteside’s health which seemed like he was putting something extra on it.
T. Rogers says
I’m not as worried about Whiteside’s downsides as others. Every player won’t be a locker room dream. That is why coaching staff matters. That is where assistants like Brian Shaw earn their salary.
The Lakers need a big on the back line who can provide some kind of resistance. That is one of the key parts of going from a 17 win team to, maybe, a 32 win team. Filling that hole is also why I’m not opposed to making a run at Ezeli even if it requires the max. Someone is getting overpaid. It may as well in be for a position the Lakers desperately need to fill. Better to overpay a restricted vet now while the Lakers younger players are on cost controlled deals.
Anon#1 says
The Heat are a veteran team led by Wade and Bosh, who have emeritus status due to their championships. The culture of the Heat is different than the Lakers — think of the Kobe Lakers and how the organization catered to him sometimes to the detriment of other players.
The current Lakers are a clean slate. There is no hierarchy to defer to other than Walton and his staff. The players on court performance will dictate leaders and followers over time. In other words Whiteside won’t have to wait a few years (Wade and Bosh to retire) to assume a leadership role — it’s his for the taking assuming he puts in the work and performs.
While he certainly could join a team that is further along — he would be joining that team as a missing piece of a puzzle that belongs to someone else (ie: Lillard’s Blazers or Dirk’s Mavericks). That would be my selling point along with the fact that his team mates while very young are very talented. He won’t be pulling the franchise uphill alone. He has a chance to be a leader of the next great Lakers team.
Dom says
Miami does not have his bird rights btw. They signed him to a 2 year contract and the traditional bird rights dont apply.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-hassan-whiteside-s020315-story.html
That being said there are other options for the team Biyombo for one. He will be cheaper, has a better attitude, uber athletic and if you watched any of the Raptor playoff games he was their MVP especially at home. He is only 23 years old to boot. He is a great roll finisher and frankly i would prefer him in a locker room full of youngsters as opposed to Whiteside who we all agree lacks maturity. For that reason alone i would prefer Biyombo.
Darius Soriano says
Dom,
The Heat have what are called “early” Bird Rights for Whiteside. That means they can offer him 7.5% annual raises. These rights should not be confused with “full” Bird Rights, which, they do not have (as you noted).
Full Bird Rights would allow the Heat to offer those 7.5% annual raises, add a 5th year to their contract offer, and go over the cap to re-sign him. Again, they do not have these rights, which does even out the playing filed some when teams are competing for his services.
LT Mitchell says
When it comes to leadership, being a positive influence on the young players and teaching the young players how to be professionals, Noah and Horford would be the ideal centers.
Whiteside had quite a few boneheaded outbursts in Miami and the worrisome part is that may have been Whiteside on his best behavior. He was in his contract year, while surrounded by respected vets, as well as Spoestra and Pat Riley, playing on a team that hoped to go deep in the playoffs. Signing him to his first big contract is going to be a big time gamble on a team with young pups, a rookie coach, and Jimbo.
On the other hand, the Lakers currently have the league’s worst trio of guards on the defensive end in DAR, Clarkson and Lou, and I don’t think it’s close, as well as a PF who offers very little rim protection. They need Whiteside’s presence on the defensive end in the worst way.
Due to the lack of defensive players on this team, I think it’s worth the gamble to sign him, but Luke and Shaw won’t be enough to tame this beast. I hope to see the Lakers sign a couple respected vets to help in that department.
Shaun says
the whole thing with the Heat and whiteside was that they could see that he was going to outplay what they could pay him and wanted him to be pigeonholed in a role – spoelstra even benched him late in the 4th and played amare instead during the season – m
y feeling is that created a lot of bad blood with him for the heat and he doesn’t resign + wade wants a Kobe deal to end his career and make up for the lost money he left on the table and I think Riley might not give it to him + the heat might force Bosh into a medical retirement – so the Heat might be a complete mess next year … not even sure why they are getting a meeting with Durant … it’s not gonna happen
Durant and Pau to the Warriors though would look to be in play
Kevin says
In the post season Biyombo averaged 6.2 pts and 9.4 rebounds shooting .580% on 3.5 shot attempts in 25 min per game. While I love the rebounds I am worried that his offensive game is limited to put backs off of offensive boards.
Likewise in the post season Whiteside averaged 12 pts and 10.9 rebounds shooting .698% off of 7.6 attempts in 29 min per game. The number of shot attempts would indicate that Whiteside was at least a viable option in the Heat’s offense.
mikeinchitown says
a lot of the negatives of whiteside, or even biyombo, is overstated. i would emphasize FREE agent. meaning, lakers do not give up assets to sign these players. hence, the risk is vastly mitigated vs. if lakers are trading for a player w/similar issues, e.g, boogie.
i trust luke’s focus on culture and fun to have positive locker room impact for a guy like whiteside. if not, worst case scenario, a year or two into the new salary cap, i doubt lakers would want for suitors in a trade scenario for a player of whiteside’s skills.
Anonymous says
Durant is meeting with Miami, Boston and the Clippers in addition to GS SA and OKC.
KevTheBold says
I don’t believe the potential of Whiteside, outweighs the risks.
I’m also not in the camp that says it’s ok to add more responsibilities on Walton’s plate.
After all, he will have more than enough to deal with in our youngsters; essential time and attention that should not be wasted on an inflated ego that overshadows talent.
All we need for now is an unselfish rim protector of high character.
Mikey says
Whiteside is a CANCER ! Stay far away. The reasoning is virtually impossible to dispute:
1. The Lakers already have a very immature potential star in D’Angelo Russell.
2. The rest of their core includes 18 year old Ingram, 21 year old Randle, and 23 year old Clarkson and Nance.
3. Critical to their development is being around a bunch of professionals who will practice hard, impart defensive ethics, and game smarts.
4. Whiteside is the exact opposite of what they should want in an influence in that he’s 27, huge, would be commanding the team’s largest salary, and would consequently have a rather large influence on the team, and his influence, to date, has been: immaturity, letting down championship winning HOF teammates (see Wade’s comments about him), getting tossed out of game after game for stupid fights with marginal players during key playoff runs, and chasing blocks and boards in such a way as to stat aggregate in lieu of actually helping the team.
Even if he did help the team statistically, which hasn’t happened in his first two breakout seasons, through age 27, his negative impact on team culture is a deal breaker all by himself.
Really, I can’t understand how anyone would even consider having him around to ruin these young players and their team. He’d be mentioned in trade rumors by January. I’d rather trade for Kosta Koufos, or sign Taj Gibon for 20 million a year, or even sign Noah for $25 million a year to watch over the team while injured. Please keep this guy far away from the young Lakes. He could infect them all.
Clay Bertrand says
rr, you are doing my posting for me these days!!!! Totally agree with your sentiments. I no longer would consider a Noah signing possible or of great benefit nor do I believe Horford has ANY remote interest in coming to LA.
minorthreatt, also agree with your posts (great handle BTW–punk rock mixed with Sedale?? HELL YEAH!!!) .
Mikey (in the previous thread) pacclerouge, and LKK have highlighted the pragmatic arguments AGAINST pursuing Whiteside and fairly convincingly so. Good points by all.
I still have a hope that our new coaching staff and our new team dynamic without Kobe will be able to develop a culture that will accommodate and reign in even the free spirits. We don’t have any crusty old veterans KEEPING IT OLD SCHOOL and Luke seems to have a philosophy that goes beyond JUST BASKETBALL as it relates to chemistry and everyone feeling involved and being invested in the TEAM.
Basically, I am in favor of pursuing Whiteside because I feel the potential benefits outweigh the issues he may bring. At the end of the day, unless injured, he would still be an asset that could be moved if needed down the road. For some reason, although I still think its long odds, I DO think the Lakers could offer some legitimate intrigue to Whiteside and could sell him on his future in LA with this young team. He seems susceptible to the type of pitch we could likely muster.
One intelligent thing that Whiteside said lately that people don’t always consider is when he was asked by Miami reporters if the Florida NO STATE INCOME TAX situation (which Texas teams also boast) is a big factor in his FA decision, he said, something like, “You can always get traded.” True dat!
For all of the posters suggesting these great alternative guys at the 5 like WCS, Gorgui Dieng, Nurkic, Tyson Chandler etc.–the Lakers are currently ASSET POOR. We cannot afford to trade ANYTHING other than Nick Young and/or Lou Williams for these players that BTW, their teams all value more than those two. Now IF—-IFFFFFF some stupid FO (Vlade) wants to trade a young athletic big (Vlade) for a couple of older 1 dimensional scorers (Vlade), then CERTAINLY I would be on the phone with that FO (Vlade) yesterday!!!
We can’t keep trading away out draft picks. They will be the most valuable contracts going forward if we plan on signing some big money players. You have to have guys on smaller contracts too and those are role players and guys on rookie deals. Rookie scale contracts will be part of a BALANCED DIET for any healthy roster unless the new CBA drastically changes things.
Vasheed says
I see opinions on who to get to play center falling into 2 categories.
One group who wants a guy under 30 with the supreme physical tools to backstop a porous defense. These fans can ignore personality issues and lack of other key skills like ability to pass the ball. This is the Whiteside contingent.
The other group focuses on culture. This player may not be able to anchor the defense solely through physical tools. However, he is a leader and brings a more well rounded game capable of making plays and or shooting from range. This is the veteran contingent who favor guys like Horford and Noah.
I’m in the later group. Frequently criticsim of these veterans are that they are in decline. Horford for instance shot a lower FG% but you have to take it in context that he shot over 8 times as many 3pt attempts. He is still very productive he just changed the way he played and for the better. Noah on the other hand did have 2 unproductive seasons. However that too comes with the caveats of having multiple big men added to the roster during that time and dealing with injuries. As of now he is healthy and for the right price tag and years could be the key to developing our young core.
I would not be upset with getting Whiteside but, I more strongly favor fixing the culture in LA. It starts with Walton but, the players we get should embody that as well.
A Horse With No Name says
I agree that a Whiteside signing would send a signal around the league that the lakers were now comers; legitimately in the mix for quality free agents. The value going forward of that shouldn’t be underestimated. That said, I would be surprised if Whiteside signs with the lakers. If he does not,
I would be very happy with a Biyombo signing. I like Biyombo’s age (23), physicality, mobility, competitive spirit, solid character and emerging skills (I think he will turn into a solid five mid-range shooter.) We will likely know who our starting center will be in five days or less. Exciting times!
Kevin says
Horse: ‘I think he will turn into a solid five mid-range shooter.’
__
Is that wishful thinking or have you seen anything to indicate he has a more rounded offensive game?
matt says
So the character issues of whiteside are he’s an emotional player, so what’s worse that, or tarik black described as being too nice.
rr says
1157 am is me.
A Horse With No Name says
Kevin: I saw him take and make a few in the playoffs. His form isn’t bad at all.
Kevin says
After spending the year off the Whiteside bandwagon, I got on it this off season. While discussion about his immaturity are a real concern his on court production is tailor made for the Lakers who have a significant hole in their middle.
Now, I could be persuaded to feel better about Biyombo if I was sure his presence on the floor would not mean the Lakers were playing 4 on 5 when they were on offense. I have no worries about his role on defense. I worry about Biyombo’s man sliding off of him on the offensive end and doubling on Randle (who also has no range). That would put a lot of pressure on our perimeter game.
Walton’s motion offense only works when the players on the court have strengths they can exploit especially by making an extra pass. If Biyombo is merely a decoy I sense the fluidity we seek offensively will never come to fruition.
Thoughts?
Kareeme says
I think that all the negativity coming out about Whiteside is a bit ridiculous. You have a situation in Miami where he’s being asked to take a huge paycut in order to keep their team together. Udonis Haslem went on record talking about “loyalty” and some song and dance about “the Heat believed in him”, which to me insults Hassan’s intelligence. It is easy for Udonis to preach loyalty when he’s earned $52 million over his career, compared to Whiteside’s $1.7 million. Further, the Heat believed in him enough for a $2 million contract. They would have cut him without blinking if he didn’t produce. All of this concern over his “businessman” comment is far fetched. Whiteside deserves to maximize his value as a player.
matt says
Whiteside and randle together could become a intimidating duo, remember randle started the season aggressive, talking trash, they gotta realise randle is a special player and the center they sign will be his post partner going forward
Clay Bertrand says
Kareeme,
“They would have cut him without blinking if he didn’t produce.”
__________________________________________________________
Exactly!! Where there’s Riley there’s FIRE!!! Everything coming out of the Heat camp is self serving CRAP!! Personally, I’m not a Wade fan OR A BOSH FAN. Shaq and Lebron gave them their credibility with RINGS.
At any rate, I honestly do not see the selfishness some of you are describing in Whiteside’s interview at all when read in its entirety. The Loyalty comment I attribute to a bit of FA gamesmanship JUST LIKE THE HEAT HAVE BEEN DOING TO HIM!! They’ve been putting out all the misleading comments like he’s their first priority KNOWING that they have to reward Wade for his pay cuts the last two seasons and that they have almost NOBODY under contract with limited Cap Space.
When the music stops in Miami, someone will be standing there with nothing but Riley’s empty promises OR they will be paying EXTREME LUXURY TAX for a mid level PRETENDER of a team.
Vasheed,
Pretty accurate break down of the dualing philosophies regarding Whiteside.
The MAIN thing I would add though is that the VETERAN options people are talking about in Noah and Horford simply ARE NOT COMING HERE. They aren’t realistic options. They are staying on the East Coast most likely and have several suitors there with equal money and better rosters than we can offer.
Mosgov and Al Jefferson are not the impactful players Whiteside would be even with any perceived baggage the latter may bring with him. They are also net neutral to net negative on D IMO.
To me, Whiteside is more GETTABLE than Horford and Noah. Even as a long shot I think the odds are better at getting him than the other two. Ezeli is restricted and he has his clear weaknesses. Biyombo is ZERO threat on Offense (As Kevin points out).
I am in the camp of Whiteside and if we whiff there, then Mahinmi, Black, Zubac and Randle in a PUNT and see what next Summer can offer. I support the Whiteside pursuit with the assumption his game and attitude can be molded by the coaches and his teammates that are closer in age than the geezers in Miami.
LT Mitchell says
I hope this doesn’t sound too homerish, but I think not only do the Lakers have a shot at Whiteside, but they are the clear favorites to sign him. The Lakers offer everything he seems to want. I agree with others that Horford and Noah are long shots. I would be content with any plus defender at C, Mahini, Biyombo, heck even Mosgov. AlJeff does not qualify at this point of his career.
Nik Kannan says
Darius – Thank you for further explaining the “Bird Rights” pertaining to Whiteside.
I for one didn’t fully understand “early bird rights” and got some flawed info from random articles.
Here is hoping Whiteside sees the advantages of being a Buisness Man in LA.
matt says
I feel you on biyombo limitations on offense, we really don’t need another offensive player but biyombo is like zero offensively, all he really needs to do is attack the rim but his ability to catch a pass is weak, if randle can improve his mid range shot it might work, but on defense biyombo has the ability to guard multiple positions and so does ingram, this would improve the defense tremendously
Clay. I feel you on your whiteside take, he’s the one that had to deal with the criticism of wade and bosh, and he sames to handle it well. If anything he should be credited for rising from the d-league
rr says
Clay,
Your posts have been good lately. Thanks for contributing.
Alex says
To quote a modern philosopher, Talent is Talent, and if this young 27yo improves any, he’s top 3 at the 5. As long as he doesn’t shockingly regress, he’s good value. He’s tradeable after December for another quality player, so that’s the floor of the risk. No better use of $22M than that.
Everyone worries about Whiteside spoiling the youngins. It’s more likely that they keep him in check via peer pressure (with the watchful coaching staff nearby), which he’d feel more so than from the elder Wade/Bosh types.
As I and others have mentioned before, Whiteside has the glorious chance of walking into the Staples Center as the on-court leader of the Lakers! Their new max player, all-star level big, in a franchise where bigs have been revered. This is a GoT level reversal of fortune! You’d need an ego like the HHDL to not be enticed by this.
Why stay with the HEAT, so that Bosh can pull his jersey and they can bench him, suggest they want to pay him less than max? Or try to fit into any other established locker room (where he’s found himself at odds before), than to go to his own locker room? No other team can offer this than Philly, but they got like six centers.
So: Clean start, max money, chance to grow with the team for a year. Learns the new system, has fun listening to music while practicing. Trains with Kareem, Magic or Kobe if he wants. All the minutes he wants. Build the self-brand he’s talked about, in Los Angeles. It’s not like he’s choosing losing to winning either – the young coach will be fun, with JW there LA has future all-stars/solid starters in every position and growing together, plus another $40+m in FA and another all-star addition next year. Lakers-Minny could be the rivarly of the next era, and he’ll be swatting KAT for the ring.
I believe LA is the most intriguing destination for him, and he already knows it. The only thing the Lakers can’t offer is playoffs in 2016-17 season, and maybe some money. But to go from a $1M/yr journeyman to a $94m contract, a real dollar difference of $5-10M is only felt abstractly, while the benefits immediately. They’ll play fun ball, he’ll be instrumental for the team, After 2-3 years, this team could be special, so it’d be a good basketball decision as well.
dxmanners says
Please, somebody take Nick Young off our hands…
Redemocracy8 says
Pau.
TheNumberOfFlopsIsTooDamnHigh says
@Mark Sims:
while i understand your critique of Darius citing an article published in 2015 i think you are overreacting a bit.
rit is no secret that concerns about whitesides character and work ethic have been consistent and also persistent from when he came back from d-league to the current point in time.
if an article, albeit almost a year old, illustrates this better than some more current ones (as it is based on a very respected teammates testimony) i think it is not really against jornalists best practices or ethics to cite it.
besides, as far as i know, darius is not only writing for but also running and moderating this blog, and has been consistently and reliably for a very long time while working a full time job (presumably not even basketball related). and i never saw anything that would hint at darius planning on monetizing this fantasticly levelheaded and competent blog, which by the way has one of the best discussion boards in lakerland you will find.
so i think your comment was a bit overreaching, and though i always appreciate reading new commenters opinions, it seems like you might be better off posting your love for other blogs right where it came from: on another blog.