Hassan Whiteside is NBA's King of Smart Blocks
Hassan Whiteside's season has been so unbelievable it's no surprise to learn he rules the NBA in the art of the smart block, according to Vantage Sports.
All blocks aren't created equal and a smart block has become the term to describe a swat that results in the shot blocker's team gaining possession. The great Bill Russell was the master of this in the 60's with the Celtics.
Despite this being Whiteside's first season as a fixture in an NBA rotation, the Miami Heat's 25-year-old starting center has managed to help his team retain possession 62 percent of the time. His 2.8 Possessed Blocks per 100 Chances make him the Association's finest in essentially converting the value of a block into a steal.
Whiteside is only second in blocks per game (2.47) this season, behind Anthony Davis (2.97), however he does pace the league in blocks per 48 minutes.
Most analytics love him, with the big fella ranking sixth in PER (ahead of LeBron) and first in rebound rate.
Where he has declined a bit is in rim protection, where he stands 23rd in the league in opponent field-goal percentage (48%) at the rim (min of 5 attempts per game). Rudy Gobert (39%) owns this category. Part of it can probably be attributed to Whiteside deliberately limiting his aggression when in "foul trouble," as we saw last night against Charlotte, but also could be likened to a growth in sample size. Regardless it's an area to improve upon as his exploding career plows ahead.
With his length, athleticism, and blockability, Whiteside should dominate most defensive metrics, including rim protection, for years to come.
Follow Josh on Twitter (@JoshBaumgard)