Utah Jazz center Hassan Whiteside 2021-22 Goal #2: Lead the team in rebounds per 36 minutes
Rudy Gobert is an undeniably better rim protector than Whiteside, but when it comes to gobbling up boards, the margins are narrow between the two veteran big men. Last season, Gobert collected 15.8 rebounds per 36 minutes. For his part, Whiteside collected 14.2. That’s an impressive mark, but it pails in comparison to the 16.2 and 17.6 (!) rebounds he grabbed per 36 minutes in his previous two seasons.
The last goal we set for the newfound member of the Utah Jazz was practically a necessity, whereas this one is something closer to a luxury. Ultimately, Quin Snyder will have an elite rebounder on the floor for the bulk of every game, and whether Whiteside is grabbing 14 or 16 per 36 minutes is fairly inconsequential.
He should make it a goal to lead the team in rebounds per 36 minutes anyway.
The justification for that position is pretty simple. More rebounds = better. Across the NBA, many teams have veered away from ponying up big contracts for rebounding specialists, instead opting to have big men box out so that their primary playmakers can collect the board. The strategy makes sense: the sooner the ball is in the hands of your best offensive player, the better.
The Utah Jazz should feel comfortable bucking that trend. Last season, they managed the third best Offensive Rating in the NBA (115.1) despite playing at just the league’s 16th fastest pace (100.8). They typically thrived by having Gobert secure the glass, get the rock to one of Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley or Jordan Clarkson, and then setting up one of Quin Snyder’s sophisticated offensive sets to generate a quality shot.
To borrow one of the more morbid colloquialisms in the English language, there are several ways to skin a cat. The Jazz should not endeavour to fix something that isn’t broken, and likewise, Hassan Whiteside should aim to collect as many rebounds as humanly possible.
Setting a goal for himself to lead the Utah Jazz in rebounds per 36 minutes could be useful for him in that regard.