<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ly_yng @ Dec 30 2007, 12:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Of our healthy bigs (that is, everyone but Krstic), Allen has the most complete offensive game. Boone and Sean are great from 2 feet in and on the offensive boards, but Allen's the only one who can hit a jump shot or a long floater. He helps space the opposing team's defense. I agree he's shockingly slow to rotate on defense, and really hurts the team in this regard, but they need him on offense to keep things solvent. If you think we're a jump-shooting team now, imagine if the opposing team's center and power forward could just clog the lane all game to prevent anyone from ever driving. He's bad, but I don't think we'd be able to pick up anyone who is better suited for the role. Ideally, he'll get relegated to garbage time when Krstic returns. I'm interested: who should we have picked up instead of Allen? Imagine we've got the full mid-level to spend (seeing as how Magloire's just been a waste). Who should we have picked up instead that could've acted as an interim Krstic?</div> Blatche
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jizzy @ Dec 30 2007, 12:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Malik is nice</div> Ya,he saved us last nite.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jizzy @ Dec 30 2007, 12:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Malik is nice</div> Ya, but his character has nothing to do with how good (or should I say bad) of a basketball player he is. Sometimes I wodner if peple even realize there's two sides of the court.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182 @ Dec 30 2007, 03:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Ya, but his character has nothing to do with how good (or should I say bad) of a basketball player he is. Sometimes I wodner if peple even realize there's two sides of the court. </div> The reality is that, for the veteran's minimum, the Nets weren't (and aren't) going to find a player that could do it on both ends of the floor. Heck, it's a quality that's even difficult to find in top tier players making ten times more money; the number of top tier players who are good on both ends of the floor can probably be counted on one hand. I give the guy his dues where he's earned them: he's hit the open jump shot consistently and if there are qualms about his defensive abilities, well, no one has claimed him to be the second coming of Rodman or Pippen. There's a reason why his game has value to this team: the Nets have no true inside scoring presence. None of the bigs can generate their own offense consistently; that's partially why Krstic is so imporant: he's the only big on the entire team with a back to the basket game and an array of post moves. The offensive success of Boone, S.Williams, and Magloire all depend on The Big 3 to create opportunities to attack the rim from the paint. Allen - as others in this thread have mentioned - helps spread the floor because he is a credible threat with his mid-range jumper: as an opposing big, you have to respect his shot. He opens up the lane, just ever so slightly, for Jefferson and Carter which in turn, helps whichever other big is on the floor by reducing congestion in the lane. Yes, he's slow on defense and he can be considered a liability on that end of the floor. But until Boone or Williams develop a mid-range jumper (or better yet, they develop consistent low post offensive moves), there will be a place for guys like Allen on this team who can help space the floor.
How about DEM apples. Malik was huge last night. They couldn't have won the game without him. Krstic certainly makes him irrelevant when he gets back, but hitting open jumpers consistently and being able to body up a big man - it makes him a serviceable 11th or 12th man.
