When the Utah Jazz signed Hassan Whiteside this past offseason, we weren’t exactly optimistic about the pact. Undeniably, the veteran big man’s combination of length, size and vertical leap has made him an imposing force at times during his NBA career. However, he’d also developed a reputation for undisciplined play and locker room drama throughout his tenure in the league.
We feared that the bad would outweigh the good.
So far, exactly the opposite has occurred.
New Utah Jazz big man thriving with the second unit
On the surface, Whiteside isn’t having anything resembling a career year. His averages of 7.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game pale in comparison to his gaudy career highs of 17.0, 14.1 and 3.7 in those respective categories.
Even on a per 36 minutes basis, Whiteside’s 15.9 points, 15.5 rebounds and 3.2 blocks, while impressive, are not career high figures. However, a peak underneath the hood indicates that Whiteside is contributing towards winning basketball in a way that we’ve rarely seen from the big man before.
Whiteside’s 97 Defensive Rating through 15 games is the highest he’s posted since he was a member of the Miami Heat in 2015-16. Meanwhile, his 1.1 Defensive Box Plus/Minus is his best mark since 2018-19. Opponents are shooting 48.8% on shots from within six feet when Whiteside is the primary defender. For context, they shoot 43.7% from the same area against Rudy Gobert: a 3x Defensive Player of the Year.
Utah Jazz center Hassan Whiteside passes the eye test
You can dig through advanced metrics all you like, but ultimately, anybody who’s watching the Utah Jazz on a regular basis is seeing what Whiteside is bringing to the table.
He’s playing with the exact discipline he’d previously been known not to. His defensive positioning is consistent, he controls the glass, and offensively he rolls hard to the rim, dunks and refuses to play outside of himself. He’s been equal parts consummate roll man and consummate role player.
We originally gave this Utah Jazz signing a grade of C+. We’d be remiss not to correct that error.
Regrade: A-