I actually think starting CJ might be our best move. Put him alongside LMA and there's less pressure on him to be error free than when in with the second unit, and it allows Thomas/Smith to play the usual rotation they're accustomed to behind Camby.
We are not hosed without Camby. People need to step up, and LaMarcus needs to stop heading down the floor on shot attempts and get his ass under the rim and rebound Playing exactly 13:13 is awesome though.
This, and this is why we need to try to trade for a reliable C for the unless 3-5 years, unless we decide to go with LMA most of the time and then get another PF that fits. Perhpas if The Blazers and Nic are really "miles" apart in a contract then a move "might" be made there. Lots of big decisions to be made.
We need a quality center in order for us to win on the road. Usually this is the time when your "Inside game" is needed. It's much harder to keep running on the road. You need more pieces than just Aldridge to carry your inside game; which is why the game got away from us when Aldridge got in foul trouble.
which is why getting a younger reliable solid BIG is a huge need, either now, at the deadline, or this summer. Camby is old and him getting injuries is to be expected
I wouldn't even mind if it's not a center. Maybe a good interior scorer PF; since we all know Aldridge can play center if he has to. A player like "West". I really wish we got him, but I know it was impossible.
Or someone like Paul Millsap or DeJuan Blair - two guys Pritchard passed on multiple times in the second round. Either one of them would work well beside Aldridge at the five. BNM
Chris Johnson does basically what Camby does out there and he's younger with more bounce, and it keeps LA from picking up center fouls. We need LA at the 4 not five!
The Blazers were supposed to be interested in Greg Smith, who is currently playing in the D-League...
Relatedly: we'd have to cut someone (i.e., Armon) to sign anyone unless we got an injury exception. But we wouldn't, not for a non-season-ending injury.
When have you seen Chris Johnson play the high post and able to make solid entry passes down into LMA in the post, or make the alley-oop pass?
We can play Kurt Thomas 20 minutes a night with Nicput back into the starting lineup. It is not as if MC was playing 48 minutes.
