Tonight’s game between the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons has important playoff implications, but we were most excited for the matchup due to the presence of ascendant big men Hassan Whiteside and Andre Drummond. Players with their combinations of size, athleticism, and skill are few and far between, and contrasting Whiteside’s meteoric rise to impact player with Drummond’s steady climb to star on the same court would be a fun exercise in big men analysis.
The imminent nature of awesome plays like this one had us intrigued, too. Only so many players in basketball could block Reggie Jackson’s shot basically flat-footed, and fewer still would possess the coordination and explosion to follow it with Drummond’s aplomb – especially with the Pistons guard in the way.
It’s been a good start for both pivots, though hot shooting from Detroit has Stan Van Gundy’s up 29-24 at the end of the first quarter. Drummond has seven points and five rebounds, while Whiteside’s contributed four points and three boards of his own.
