Portland Trail Blazers center Hassan Whiteside had a dominant showing in his team's 107-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Moda Center on Sunday night.
The 30-year-old slotman finished with a strong double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds to go along with three assists and four rejections in 38 minutes.
Shortly after the intense match, the 7-foot center talked about his performance and bravely proclaimed that he should be hailed as the Defensive Player of the Year this 2019-20.
Hassan Whiteside (17 rebounds, 4 blocks) on his performance tonight: "I feel like I'm defensive player of the year"
— Law Murray 💔 (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 24, 2020
Hassan Whiteside is currently on his first tenure with the Blazers after being traded by the Miami Heat in a four-team swap over the summer. In 53 games, the 30-year-old big man is norming 15.8 points and 14.1 rebounds while making 61 percent of his field goals.
His inability to stretch the floor, however, has somewhat been problematic for coach Terry Stotts' offense. Whiteside insistence to operate down low has clogged the paint for Portland's speedy guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
But with Jusuf Nurkic still recovering from a leg injury he sustained last season, Whiteside has given the Blazers a legitimate rim protector. He is currently leading the league in shot blocks per game, swatting 3.1 a night.
Hassan Whiteside should certainly be up for consideration for DPOY base on that glaring stat line alone. Reigning DPOY winner Rudy Gobert also has a good claim this year and might be on track for his third straight citation.
All-Stars Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers are strong contenders as well.
The Blazers, meanwhile, currently hold a 26-32 slate and are figuring on a tight race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
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