3.) Attack Whiteside in the PnR
Hassan Whiteside is easily the Blazer’s worst big man defender, which is a weird thing to say given the fact that we’re only a few years removed from him being an elite interior defender in the league, routinely garnering triple-doubles with blocks.
However, those days seem to be behind Whiteside, as the Miami Heat were itching to get rid of him as soon as possible. It would appear that attitude problems and a lack of consistent effort were the main factors in Whiteside being shown the door in Miami, and those problems seem to be manifesting themselves in Portland again.
Per CleaningtheGlass, with Whiteside on the floor, the Blazers are seeing a +2.5% increase in opponent eFG%. A lot of this increase has to do with the fact that Whiteside is not great at defending the pick and roll, a core staple of basically every team’s offense. On the season, Whiteside ranks in the 67th percentile in terms of pick and roll defense, and opponents are averaging 0.88 points per possession with him as the primary defender.
Luckily for the Lakers, the pick and roll chemistry between LeBron James and Anthony Davis has been getting better with each game. After a tough challenge with Rudy Gobert guarding the paint on Wednesday night’s blowout against the Jazz, the team should have no trouble with Hassan Whiteside.