The X-Factor.
That is what this prospect is because, honestly, I’ve never been able to see him play and all of what I know about him is what other people tell me. But I can say this, those individuals are usually pretty accurate in their scouting reports so that is why this player has to go AT LEAST #4 since he could potentially be one of the answers for the Thunder’s low post need.
#4 – Hassan Whiteside – 6’11, 225 – PF/C – Marshall
ESPN’s Chad Ford lists Hassan White side as a Marcus Camby type of talent if he reaches his potential. A long, athletic forward who is an explosive leaper, is very quick for his size, a terror on the defensive end, a dominating shot-blocker and a very solid rebounder.
Despite being old for his class (20 as a freshman), Hassan continues to wow scouts and draft experts the more and more the season unfolds. Per Ford, no prospect in this class is generating more buzz among NBA personnel and scouts than Whiteside, as he is one of the few “7-footers” in college basketball with a legitimate chance at being an NBA contributor.
But that’s part of the problem: Only scouts have seen Whiteside play. Most NBA GM’s even haven’t.
Lack of visibility aside, Whiteside does have negatives in that he is very raw offensively, desperately needs to add size and power (all of this sound familiar?) and much more in keeping with potential center’s recent trends, is an awful free throw shooter.
But when you’re nearly seven feet tall, can run, jump, block shots and have a jumpshot to the point that NBA executives can say, “Think a young, skinny Camby with a jumper,” only not as good of a rebounder as Camby, there’s going to be A LOT of interest.
Given his reported measurements, Whiteside is a prototypical center at the next level for everything but weight and strength. He is a big-time leaper, has a HUGE wingspan, exceptionally quick for his size and can run the floor “like a deer.”
Like I’ve said almost all week, were I able to verify all of these claims with my own two eyes, then Whiteside would absolutely be no worse than #2 on the 2010 Draft Prospectus, with eyes toward being #1 if his offensive game is developing as nicely as some individuals report.
Don’t believe the hype? Can’t say I blame you since it’s pretty hard to buy into something you’ve never witnessed, but let me assure you, most scouts and draft gurus absolutely love this kid. Case in point, I’m not sure if Draft Express expects him to stay in school another year, which would explain him not being in the 2010 Draft, but just take a look at where they think he’ll go in the 2011 Draft if that happens.
#3.
Not bad for a kid most colleges didn’t even recruit out of high school, huh?
Offensively most everyone agrees that Whiteside has to polish his game to be effective at the next level but that his touch, handle, post moves and finishing ability will all need some work. Per Draft Express, “Offensively, Whiteside shows flashes of skills in multiple areas, but he is very unpolished in all of them, and is still pretty much a blank slate in terms of what type of offensive player he could become. He shows glimpses of a nice hook shot in the post, but lacks the footwork to get it off consistently. He can take his man off the dribble from 15 feet using his rangy steps in a straight line motion, but can’t do much else. He will occasionally knock down a spot-up 15 footer, but just as frequently will put up an air-ball.” So much like a blank slate, there’s a lot of potential…but a lot of empty space to be filled to.
Defensively, he has even more potential and is already something of an intimidating force even despite being a bit weak in the post and being susceptible to getting backed down (again, a strength and size issue more than anything else). Per Draft Express, “In addition to having excellent length and mobility, Whiteside possesses outstanding timing on his shot blocks, and does a pretty good job with making rotations from the weakside. He blocks shots in all situations, be it coming across the lane on a driver, in man-to-man situations in the post, or running out on the perimeter to swat down jumpers.”
And when they say blocks shots in all situations, they mean it, to the tune of 5.3 blocks a game. Did I mention Whiteside is only playing 25.1 minutes a game?
Now there are a lot of question marks with Whiteside aside from his physique and the fact that he hasn’t been seen a whole lot, namely, the opponents he’s putting these numbers against. But since Marshall now competes in Conference USA for Men’s Basketball, that’s not as much of an issue as it might have been before given the presence of Memphis as a basketball powerhouse in the conference (I think a few really good point guards came from Memphis and Conference USA recently, right?).
I wish I could write more and give more information than what others have already said, but the sheer fact that a COMPLETE unknown prospect has burst onto the scene and has scouts raving about his potential is fairly remarkable and it wouldn’t surprise me if seeing more of Whiteside for scouts and GM’s means him declaring this year for the draft and possibly even going Top 10 or at least in the lottery.
Simply put, you just don’t find this much potential in a center prospect very often with his athleticism and still developing skill-set who produces in college to the tune of 13.1 points on 55.2% FG, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 blocks in only 25.1 minutes.
Memphis had a couple of years under Calipari. Other than that, this conference is only so so. I still question the numbers given the competition.
But that's just being nitpicky.
Also, I watched Udoh play Texas. It was a really bad game for him, as he went 0-11 in regulation, and 3-3 in overtime before fouling out. Pittman through him around like a rag doll. It's just one game, but I wasn't impressed with the kid from Edmond (OKC suburb).
Whiteside went head to head against Jerome Jordan (7 footer from Tulsa)last week and Whiteside had 10 points, 1 rebound, 5 blocks and fouled out. Jordan had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.
I watched whiteside and marshall take on jerome jordan's tulsa squad last week in person. it was a great game, quite a few scouts on hand as the two first round centers were going head to head. whiteside had uncanny ability to block and disrupt shots, totaling 5 blocks in the first half alone. he owned jordan. foul trouble limited him in the second half. displayed nice touch on his jump shot too. both jordan and whiteside listed at 7 foot, however, jordan did have an inch or two on him. jordan was much more polished offensively as one would expect and put up good numbers due to a strong second half.
for those talking about aldrich, I do not believe he is athletic enough to be a good nba center.
@Vega
They say they like him, but they don't play him. Plus, if someone is willing to take on another contract, I think they'd be willing to listen. Maybe not, but I think it's worth a try, at least.
@andrew
It's Lebron's to lose. But if the Thunder win 50 games I think KD will get serious consideration.
@thunder
The Wizards really like him, so I doubt that we would be able to get him.
i sure hope any of you that think KD has a legit shot at winning MVP are watching the Cavs game tonight...
how about we trade both our first round pics and expiring contracts for javalee mcghee of wizards.?
And duh.
You draft John Wall.
You don't draft big just because you need big. Otherwise, you get Bowie, Milichic or Oden instead of Jordan, Anthony, or Durant.
You figure it out later if it comes to that.
But geez. It's one thing to talk about drafting Wall and what he's make our team look like. It's another to debate about why we shouldn't draft Wall if we get the #1 pick. lolwut? We aren't getting the #1 pick. Who cares?
Exchanging picks + expiring for a one year shot isn't necessarily short sighted. Are there better options? Sure. Theoretically. But...
1) We have more draft picks than we can use
2) Our picks are going to come too late in the draft for us to get someone who can make an immediate impact
3) Expriring contracts have not been half as valuable as people were predicting earlier in the year. Unless you want to take on overpriced talent like Hinrich or malcontents like Amare, you're out of luck... and even in those cases, the teams are still fighting to get back some talent in the deal.
So trading an expiring + some picks for a one year shot that might help us stick around in the playoffs for a while longer (whether its for a couple games or even another round) isn't without value. It gives our guys some playoff experience. That has value.
I'm not crazy about Camby. He has some history as a malcontent and he's super injury prone. I swear he made up injuries last year. But just because it doesn't knock your socks off doesn't mean there's zero value or it's short sighted.
I would be shocked if we turned our draft picks and expiring contracts into top flight talent or better draft picks. That just isn't out there right now.
it would be very shortsighted to go for camby, you wait a year or two , you get some FA, your young guys develop, kobe gets old and slows down, teams like Dallas, San Antonio all gonna be in rebuild. THen you contend.
Trade our first and second round picks for Camby, go for the finals now.
Would yall be caught off gaurd if he did make a trade before the deadline?
@Sammy
Mason wasn't a free agent. We got him from Milwaukee in exchange for Luke Ridnour as part of the Mo Williams trade.
@justin
Yeah. The Lewis sign and trade was public knowledge before it happened, too. I'm trying to think of all the free agents signed by this org... Krstic, Mason, Ollie... who else???
Completely off topic, but...
Man, it'd be great if Westbrook and Harden would learn this move:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfp360WoXqQ
Wasn't the Nenad Krstic signing rumored for awhile before it happened? That's the only one I can think of besides draft picks.
@Heysloth
Every single deal this team has ever made under Presti came out of left field, a complete shock when it happened, starting with the Ray Allen trade. Guessing what Presti's up to is a fool's errand.
The parallels between the Thunder and the Seattle Mariner front offices are pretty uncanny. *sigh... So close to having two of the premier FOs in all of pro sports...
Whatever the odds don't count on getting a bead on anything before it happens. Sam Presti has to be the most conservative GM in the league, really plays it close to the vest. I don't think anyone anticipated the Chandler move before it happened, or the Thabo move.. etc. etc.
So what are our chances of trading for Camby or Dalembert before next Thursday? I am not saying we should just want to know the odds, someone call up Presti and let me know. I will just sit here and refresh until then.
@Vega
sorry.
@josh
The Thunder definitely need a big man, but the draft is a different thing altogether. You don't pass on John Wall if you have the chance to draft him, even if you need something else. This is a highly exaggerated example, but let's say Cleveland had landed the second pick in 2007. Would they have passed on Durant, given they already had Lebron? No. That's all we're saying. Wall is the best prospect in the draft, and it would be fantastic to have another star on this team.
That said, we would still need a big man to be championship caliber. Of course, with Wall at the 1, other players could become expendable, and be flipped for a very good post player.
@justin
Teasing isn't nice.
@josh
I'll try to spell this out clearly. No one seriously thinks we're getting John Wall. The chance that OKC wins the lottery with either first round pick is infinitesimally small. Hoping to win the lottery is like hoping to win the championship: it isn't going to happen.
If, however, lightning strikes, and we somehow luck out with the number one pick in the draft, there is not a scenario in the world where you don't draft John Wall. You may not keep him, but you don't pass on the shiny purty thing that is John Wall. He is far and away the most talented player in the draft.
Can we please stop talking about John Wall?
Read somewhere his dad played for the vikings? Maybe has the potential to fill out a little bit more as he develops?
He doesn't really remind me of Camby except that he is tall and skinny. Camby never gained much weight. Whiteside is alot more fluid. Doesn't have that funky around the head shot of Camby's.
I hope we win the lottery and get John Wall. Wall-Westbrook-Durant-Green-Krstic. Championship!
I mean im not tryin to argue with anybody im just sayin we ne a big man we dont need those draft picks im sorry if i upset anybody or u sammy im just sayin
What im sayin is we have KD and we need a veteran big man we have a franchise player ihope presti trades with the draft picks and everbody can stop talking about that john wall
@josh
What. You know, nevermind. You're right. Let's just all forget about john wall.
No i said that we dont anybody else but a big man not john wall
@josh
I seriously doubt justin of all people said this team is good to go and doesn't need to acquire anyone else to be a championship contender.
that guy justin and somebody else said that we have a franchise player we dont need anybody else
@josh
Who is focused on John Wall? John Wall is a pipe dream. OKC is as likely to win the championship as they are to win the lottery.
I actually got to see whiteside play against memphis for a little bit. The things that stand out to me are: He is skinny but athletic. I don't think it is that big of a deal in basketball. It isn't football. You try to push someone you get a foul.
He had some monster blocks against an athletic Memphis team. I thing about the blocks that I saw are that he retained possession of the ball on at least two and I think three that I saw. Pinned it against the glass and came down with it. Could have sent them into the stands but didn't.
Offensively I remember a smooth fifteen footer that was nothing but net. And the one play that really stands out is a catch a little out from the low block. He took one dribble and posterized at least two players. Pretty impressive from just a very small sample of part of a game.
But i still dont get why we need john wall our main focus should be a big man
@Joe
I wouldn't trust college measurements much. Players this young do a ton of growing and reports differ wildly depending on the source. Wait till the combine for reliable info.
As for whether they could crack the rotation? I tend to disagree. Nick Collison is a fine player but he's not getting any younger. Krstic won't be around after next year. Mullens may never be ready. Loads of mid-1st shot-blocking/rebounding/energy guys with offensive potential become solid rotation players.
@Joe
Completely agreed on Aldrich. If we draft another project, we run the risk of having him hold us back while the rest of the team is ready to contend. I say we put all the chips on the table for a big man.
225 pounds is pretty skinny for a near 7 footer. Remember Johan Petro was 245 when he was drafted.
I say you try and swing something for Cole Aldrich. Otherwise the rest of these guys ain't cracking a rotation here for years if ever.
I like Luke Harangody for one of our late first rounders. I like another dead eye shooter for the end of the bench alongside Kyle Weaver, and trade the rest off for future picks to a rebuilding team.
Hmmm... Some tweets from draftexpress watching Baylor vs. OkSt a couple weeks ago. Didn't realize he had a decent passing game; if he does, he jumps way up on my list:
Most impressive part about Ekpe Udoh's game today might be his passing. Really showing nice court vision with some very smart, simple plays
If Ekpe Udoh can get these shots off against the likes of Kansas and Texas he's got a good chance of moving into the top-10 I think
Ekpe Udoh showing the entire package here in the 1st half. Creating off dribble, knocking down J's, pulling up from midrange, posting up,etc
Oh, and J.G., is Udoh next? I forgot about him yesterday when discussing prospects. To me the margin between Udoh, Sanders, and Whiteside is pretty thin. I lean towards Whiteside because of the blocks and the athleticism, but I can see how others see it differently. I have all three above Alabi.
@STEIN_LINE_HQ Smart money on Dirk starting in Kobe's spot, which would reunite Dirk and Nash in starting lineup in Big D for first time since 03-04
Makes as much sense as replacing Kobe's spot with Jason Kidd.
@josh
If this franchise somehow luckboxes its way into the number one pick, you draft John Wall. There's absolutely no question in the world that is what you do. Have to move Westbrook to the 2? Fine. Trade him for Andrew Bynum? I guess. What you don't do is pass on John Freaking Wall.
@josh
That line of reasoning sure worked for the Blazers huh.
The man is a pterodactyl.
David lee just made the allstar team replacing allen iverson
And enough with lets hope we getjohn wall crap we need a big man what is he gonna do play center.
Jason kidd replacing kobe bryant WTF?
Whiteside is putting up some crazy numbers but I haven't seen him either so I don't know how to comment..