There’s nothing like some quality trash talk between big men.
Ahead of the Miami Heat’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, Heat center Hassan Whiteside was asked if he thought he shared any similarities in his game with Clippers center DeAndre Jordan.
“No,” Whiteside said matter-of-factly, per Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. “He catches lobs. I shoot jumpers, catch lobs, block shots. I do a lot. He just catches lobs.
“It don’t really matter to me who I’m guarding,” Whiteside added about the matchup. “I just come out here and just play. He catches lobs. He has CP3 (Chris Paul) as a point guard.”
In reality though, Whiteside is probably selling his Clippers counterpart way short. Jordan is a strong pick-and-roll defender, has actually added some spicy post moves to his armory this season, and isn’t too far off from the Heat center in the categories of rebounding (12.6 per game this season to Whiteside’s 14.7) and blocked shots (1.8 a contest to Whiteside’s 2.3). Jordan is also a two-time All-NBA selection and a two-time All-Defensive First Teamer, distinctions that Whiteside still has yet to achieve.
But even if they’re mostly inaccurate, Whiteside firing these kinds of shots may be a sign of that competitive spirit his head coach has been looking for in him and should make Friday’s showdown that much more entertaining.
Make big man rivalries great again also.
