<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bl6q49ruwS4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bl6q49ruwS4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> Here is a mix of Hassan Whiteside. He just seems like the real deal to me. I know the kid comes with question marks like his turn over issues and the fact that he does not like to pass the ball out when it is passed inside to him. Both traits that the greatests center to ever played the game had. I also know Hassan has certain maturity issues, once again when Hakeem came into the game he was a tremendous hot head. Things that I like about Hassan: 1. He is aggresive, agressive, agressive. 2. I love that he can block shots at the apex of the shot and keep the ball in play. 3. In the video he shows more than just the ability to dunk the ball. He shows a drop step, a turn around jumper, distance to the college three point line and the ability to finish a shot with contact from the defender. The video is a not high quality but watch it and you will see that the kid has skills. At the end of the day I trust in what ever draft day move DM makes but as of now if the Rockets can not move up for someone like Cousins, I am hopping for Whiteside.
All aboard the Whiteside bandwagon!! Honestly I've been touting him for weeks, but a highlight video is not the best resource to evaluate a player from. Players always look aggressive and everything when they're at their best, but you also have to take into account the conditions that make them not play at their best and whether they can be minimized on this team and whether we will be able to bring out the best in him.
I am scared of Whiteside because soooo many people on Clutchfans want him. It is almost a certainty that he will be a bust...
No one here is capable of evaluating talent, we simply can't dedicate the time or resources to it. What we can do is judge the results of those that do evaluate talent, and here Morey has an unmatched track record. The way to assess Whiteside's worth is not from a youtube video, but rather whether or not Morey picks him.
I have a feeling that Whiteside will end up a lot like Tyrus Thomas; limited offensively, a bit of a knucklehead, but a gamechanger on defense when he puts his mind to it.
Mock drafts show him slipping, but his height, length, and athleticism will probably lure some GM to take him higher than 14th. .
Even from his highlight videos, it appears that his post game lacks strength and balance, which are two of the most important attributes on the NBA level. Just being 7' tall and turning into your opponent for an awkward bank shot won't cut it against the big boys like it does in college. Now if basketball were like football, and there were players utilized specifically for offense and defense, I'd probably take Whiteside in the top 5 based on his shot blocking ability alone. As is, I just don't think he's ready to contribute enough on both ends to justify drafting him to a team striving for a championship in the next couple of seasons. I tend to like players who live, eat, and breathe basketball, and aren't just tall or just a great athlete who happens to have some basketball skills. If I had to choose one realistic option at #14 that fits that description, I'd go with Luke Babbitt. To me, he looks like the best basketball player likely to be on the board at that point. He could certainly develop into a stretch-4 (the kind Van Gundy always wanted next to Yao) but could also step in and give us minutes at the 3 if one of either Shane or Trevor are jettisoned in a trade. Unfortunately, he may not make it past Utah, as he's both white and from the neighboring state of Nevada.
While this is true, I think Morey's big man selection (Dorsey, Andersen, signing assorted other PFs like Pops or Woods) has been a bit lacking. Certainly Andersen is at least serviceable, but he took a gamble on Dorsey and it didn't pay off. That said, I absolutely trust Morey no matter what.
Quite possible,it will take time for him to get to that level. He needs to get stronger and gain maturity.
Wasn't Morey the one who said that "If" we stay at 14th, he doesn't expect the player we draft at that position to contribute much next season, anyway. Which kind of eliminates the need for the player to be "NBA ready" in order to get drafted by the rockets - meaning Morey could in fact go after a "project" type player - -RB
...and that's exactly what we need now. Rebounds, block shots, and team defense. Whiteside may be the perfect based on our needs.
I hope you're aware that Morey has said that about every pick he's made so far, and none of those picks were as high as 14th. Morey is just tempering expectations. Just remember... Aaron wasn't supposed to contribute his first year. He did. Carl wasn't supposed to contribute his first year. He did. Chase wasn't supposed to contribute his first year. He did. I rest my case.
Exactly, reading an old thread people wanted Josh McRoberts. When we drafted Aaron Brooks instead people were like WTF. I hope Morey does his thing complete opposite of what clutchfans wants.
If this is in response to my interest in Luke Babbitt, then let me refute. He is not a 6'7" shooter. He's 6'9" in shoes (which is the measurement used in the NBA) and has a 7 foot wingspan. His role would likely be more of a Rashard Lewis type of spot up 4, who could cause match up problems and free up the paint for Yao to work in the post. He scored well on pre-draft tests for a PF, including bench press (top 10) and hand size (bigger than Whiteside). For a quick comparison to a 6'7" shooter we've seen a lot of, Chase (a SF) measured out 2" shorter with a 5" shorter wingspan. However, Babbitt's speed, agility, and leaping all measured out almost the same as Chase. All that said, I don't disagree that we need height. I just feel that, given the options I think will be there at #14, we should take Babbitt and acquire height through some other means.
