Hassan Whiteside has been one of the great and unexpected success stories in the NBA this season, thanks to his at-times brilliant play on the court. Unfortunately, he has begun to show signs of serious volatility that is mostly unwarranted.
It started when he retaliated against Alex Len last week during a feisty matchup against the Phoenix Suns and received a $15,000 fine from the league. At the time, the center said he “regret doing that” and that “violence is not the answer”.
Fast forward to Monday against the Boston Celtics, and Whiteside was at it again – this time inexplicably shoving an unsuspecting Kelly Olynyk in the back for unknown reasons:
Whiteside will undoubtedly hear from the league again for this non-basketball play and is likely to face a heavier punishment this time.
The play prompted Anthony Tolliver of the Detroit Pistons to make the following comparison:
The more I watch Hassan Whiteside play and the things that he does, it reminds me more and more of Andrew Bynum…am I the only one?
— Anthony Tolliver (@ATolliver44) March 10, 2015
It’s an interesting comparison because both centers are massively talented with a need of a serious attitude adjustment, and both apparently have the appetite to dish out some serious cheap shots. Hopefully, Whiteside will feel the wrath of Pat Riley behind closed doors and start smartening up because he clearly has a bright future in the league, but perhaps not if he continues doing stuff like this on a regular basis.
Jim Park is a blogger and editor of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @Sheridanblog.