Tag: Hassan Whiteside

Minimum GOATs: The best players ever on the NBA’s base salary

At any given time, roughly a third of the league is on veteran or rookie minimum contracts. By and large, these are young and unproven or older and nearly washed players, balancing on a knife’s edge for their NBA careers. Most second-round picks, …

At any given time, roughly a third of the league is on veteran or rookie minimum contracts. By and large, these are young and unproven or older and nearly washed players, balancing on a knife’s edge for their NBA careers. Most second-round picks, for example, end up signing minimum deals, and few stick in the league for too long. But every once in a while, a minimum player makes you sit up and take notice of their play.

Here are the Top 20 players to play on minimum deals. (For this exercise, we’re focusing on players on minimum contracts for full seasons).

3 big men still available who would fit as backup Sixers star Joel Embiid

Here are three big men who are still available in free agency who would fit as a backup to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid.

The Philadelphia 76ers have added wing depth to their roster to improve the second group. However, there is also a possible need for a backup center behind Joel Embiid heading into the season.

The Sixers have two in-house options: young Paul Reed and Charles Bassey. Reed received the backup minutes in the playoffs. He showed flashes of potential, but he also had a net rating of minus-1.1 in the postseason. Meanwhile, Bassey was in the G League for the majority of the season in the 2021-22 season and he did not have the greatest summer league.

Therefore, perhaps the Sixers should look into another backup option for Embiid. The big fella is going to need rest, and the Sixers need somebody they can rely on.

Here are three options still available who might be willing to take the minimum to back up the big fella.

Hassan Whiteside has a custom Jeep called ‘Big Shirley’ that cost $330K to build

The Utah roads belong to Big Shirley…and so do the state’s gas stations.

If you happen to spot a six-wheeled, decked-out Jeep roaming the streets of Salt Lake City like the apocalypse is near, don’t worry. It’s just Utah Jazz center Hassan Whiteside heading to work.

Whiteside gave Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune the full tour of his custom ride, which the 32-year-old named “Big Shirley”, and it really is something else. After spending nearly $330,000 on his creation, the result was a machine tough enough to make winter in the mountains a mere inconvenience at best.

Not that Whiteside knew he’d be living there when his project began in 2019 as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. Two years, a lot of money and 9,000 miles on the odometer later, Big Shirley can’t be stopped—as long as it doesn’t need to refuel.

Whiteside said just driving from his home to the arena for practice and games would burn up a full tank of gas. He had to add an additional fuel tank just to get the capacity up to 34 gallons.

Per Larsen:

“It was created by, in Whiteside’s words, “a mixture of a bunch of crazy people that did a great job.” Whiteside said four car modding shops worked on different aspects of the project, among them SoFloJeeps and Apocalypse Manufacturing in Florida. America’s Most Wanted put a Hellcat engine into the 6×6.

“…The all-new Hellcat engine can put out 900 horsepower, Whiteside says — but also has two cooling mods added under the hood. Six massive 40-inch tires touch the pavement, along with a Dana 80 axle up front. Stabilizer bars have been added on either side, and obviously, the suspension system has been upgraded.”

He also had the driver’s seat lowered as far as it could go so the seven-footer could, you know, actually fit inside.

And the whole thing only took about 1,800 hours of labor to complete.

As for the reason he named it “Big Shirley”, well, it’s best to hear Whiteside explain it:

“You know…She’s big and good-lookin’. Like a country mama.” the veteran told Larsen.

Well that clears things up.

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Lakers news: Anthony Davis will miss next three weeks, ‘possibly beyond’

Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reports that the Lakers are going to be overly cautious with Davis’ return from a calf strain.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a choice on their hands with Anthony Davis and they may be starting to tip their hand as his calf injury is forcing the franchise to think long-term about their 28-year old big man. After the Lakers announced on Friday that Davis would be out at least two more weeks, Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reported on Monday that it will be a lot longer than that before we see Davis on the court again.

Haynes reported that Davis will be out three weeks and “possibly beyond” because they’re going to be “overly cautious.” All of that is understandable given the nature of Davis’ injury, being a calf/Achilles injury. While Kevin Durant looked great this season coming back from a torn Achilles, he’s also been sidelined with a hamstring injury. While successful recovery from Achilles injuries is more common than it used to be in the NBA, the Lakers and Davis are rightfully exploring options to avoid that possibility.

But with the Lakers needing to be cautious with Davis, the Lakers may have to be more active at the trade deadline than they were last season.

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Kings’ Hassan Whiteside hilariously has several issues with Tyrese Haliburton

From liking Aaron Rodgers over Tom Brady, to his taste in doughnuts, Whiteside has had enough of Haliburton.

Every team in the NBA seemingly needs a player or two that can help lighten the mood and provide some humor and comedy relief throughout the course of a season.

With the Sacramento Kings, Hassan Whiteside fills that role impressively.

The Kings begin a shortened four-game road trip this week and the team, led by Whiteside, had some fun with rookie Tyrese Haliburton on Tuesday in Orlando.

Whiteside posted a few video clips to his Instagram story, in which the rookie can be heard getting teased for liking Aaron Rodgers over Tom Brady, and not liking Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

He then explained to reporters his list of grievances with Haliburton.

“Rook is out of control!” Whiteside said on Tuesday. “He forgot the towels and I’m like, ‘We need doughnuts.’ Then he said, Krispy Kreme is not good. I’m like, ‘Man!’ You can’t disrespect Krispy Kreme. But I love messing with Rook, I love messing with all of the guys. These guys are a great group of guys. They all got great personalities and that’s why I want to see them win.”

While Whiteside enjoys having his fun with Haliburton, the veteran recognized he has plenty of potential on the court.

Haliburton has emerged as one of the top rookies this season. Through 14 games, Haliburton is averaging 11.4 points, 4.9 assists, three rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He brings a calmness and maturity to the court that is rarely seen in rookies, and his teammate has noticed.

“He plays like he has been in the league for years — him in the pick and roll, his knowledge of the game and his pace,” Whiteside said. “He got a really bright future. The Kings got a really great draft pick with him. He got a chance to be a really good defender. I think he has an ugly shot but it goes in. I tell him all of the time, ‘Just keep shooting.’

Whiteside isn’t the first person to complain about his shot form, but Haliburton doesn’t care. He is converting on 47% of his shots from 3-point range on 4.7 attempts per game, which ranks 11th among all qualified players in the NBA. The motion, in whatever form you want to call it, is working and shots are falling at a high clip so Haliburton isn’t concerned.

Haliburton and Whiteside may disagree on doughnuts, and his shooting form, but the two certainly believe in the rookie’s ability on the court and that is enough reason to cheer for him.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Portland big man Zach Collins (ankle) out for Game 1 vs. Lakers

The Portland Trail Blazers will be without their starting power forward for much of the seeding games, at least for Game 1.

One of the big reasons people looked at the Portland Trail Blazers as a sexy pick to pull off an upset against the Los Angeles Lakers was the return of their starting frontcourt. But at least for Game 1 of the series against the Lakers, Portland won’t have their starting lineup from each and every one of their nine games coming into the playoffs.

Blazers coach Terry Stotts told reporters that starting power forward Zach Collins is out Game 1 of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Collins’ ailment is officially ankle inflammation, which is causing him pain when he runs up and down the floor.

As for who the Blazers will start in Collins’ place, Stotts would not give those details up with more than 24 hours to go until the game, but Blazers star Damian Lillard said the starting job in Game 1 will fall on rookie swingman Wenyen Gabriel, when he was asked his opinion of where the Blazers go after the Collins injury. Gabriel started the second half of Portland’s win in the play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies, with Collins missing the second half due to the ankle injury.

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Rui Hachimura and Michael Porter Jr. to play in NBA 2K tournament

Rui Hachimura and Michael Porter Jr. will get an opportunity to showcase their NBA 2K skills.

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The players and matchups for the players-only NBA 2K20 tournament were released on Tuesday, and the NBA’s rookies will have some representation from two of their peers.

Per a tweet from The Boardroom, Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura and Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. will compete in the tournament, which the league hopes to start Friday. According to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, the tourney consists of 16 players and will be held over the course of 10 days. It will be televised on ESPN.

Hachimura is slated to play Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell in the first round, and Porter is set to play Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker.

The tournament’s seeding was made by players’ 2K ratings, and then by tenure in the league. Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has the top seed, and the rest of the top five consists of Trae Young, Hassan Whiteside, Mitchell and Booker.

Hachimura and Porter are both going up against gamers in Mitchell and Booker, respectively. Mitchell has streamed some 2K clips during the hiatus, and Booker has been streaming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

With the NBA’s season on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, fans watching some of the game’s top players virtually compete could be entertaining. It’s going to be interesting to see the different styles each player utilizes on the sticks to try and snag a win.

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The NBA is hosting a ‘players only’ NBA 2K tournament

We finally get to see who is actually good at 2K.

If you’ve ever wondered how good your favorite NBA players are at NBA 2K video games, you’re about to find out.

With real basketball being out of the picture for the foreseeable future, the NBA is tapping in to NBA 2K to provide fans with some entertainment. They’re hosting a “players only” NBA 2K tournament that will have 16 actual NBA players playing against each other in a tournament format.

Some of the details are still being nailed down, but the tournament starts on Friday and will be broadcast live on ESPN over the course of 10 days. Here’s a look at the field.

I’ve always wondered if NBA players play the game as themselves — especially if they have a lower rating on the game. Now, it looks like we’re going to find out.

If it were me? I’d probably say Trae Young comes out of this thing the winner. Kevin Durant has the best rating, obviously, but he also doesn’t seem like he plays video games.

Trae Young is young just seems like the 2K type, if you know what I mean. He’s young enough with a good enough player to get it done.

But listen, Hassan Whiteside is a good pick. He already told us he lives for this 2K thing. Don’t sleep.

This should be pretty fun to watch with no basketball. At the very least, it gives us something to do. At this point? That’s all we need.

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All-Star vote: The players who always do better with fans than peers

For the fourth year in a row, the NBA has disclosed the vote for All-Star starters of fans, media and players. Since we now have the data of where each player ranked in the final results, we decided to look for patterns. For example, which players …

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For the fourth year in a row, the NBA has disclosed the vote for All-Star starters of fans, media and players. Since we now have the data of where each player ranked in the final results, we decided to look for patterns.

For example, which players do better with fans than with their NBA peers?

We found out 16 guys have ranked higher in the fan vote than in the players vote every year since 2017. Only two on the list have made the All-Star Game and they are both members of the world-beating Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Kind of makes you go ‘Hmmm’, right?

The largest disparity between player and fan vote happens with Jordan Clarkson, though, which was kind of unexpected.

For more details, you can check the gallery above. All rankings based on position and conference.