At this point, we have come to expect gaudy rebounding and block totals from Hassan Whiteside. He currently leads the NBA with 206 blocks (3.89 per game) and his 11.5 rebounds per game are good for fourth. However, Whiteside’s improved proficiency at the free throw line has been a welcomed sight for the Heat.
Whiteside made 50 percent of his free throws last season. Prior to this year’s all-star break, he had upped it slightly to 55 percent. In the eight games since then, Whiteside has made 34-of-41 attempts, good for 83 percent.
For the 26-year-old, it’s all about being comfortable at the free throw line. After Friday’s win over the Sixers, Whiteside gave a great analogy for how he feels when shooting his freebies.
.@youngwhiteside had a cozy — and tasty! — analogy for how he feels when he heads to the free-throw line.https://t.co/3bbnU7IO4N
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) March 5, 2016
I would say that’s a supreme level of comfort.
We already know what Whiteside can do at the defensive end of the floor. However, the ability to hit free throws on a consistent basis will make teams think twice about fouling him on purpose to send him to the line, a tactic we see employed on poor shooting big men Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Andre Drummond.
Whiteside can become an unrestricted free agent following the season, at which time there will surely be plenty of suitors for his services. If his improved free throw shooting sticks, and continues through the rest of the season, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
