I know he's said he doesn't want to, but he should be our starting center. In a league where Noah/Horford/KG/Duncan can all play the center position, why can't LA? How many teams have a center that would beast him out of the post? 3 maybe?
Because he doesnt want to, and All Star players get what they want. He plays too soft to play center.
True. I'd personally love to see LMA at center and Hickson at PF. But I worry about LMA getting in foul trouble.
I think the only center that could get LA in foul trouble is Howard. The other 25+ centers should be worried about him getting them in foul trouble!
A) He doesn't want to. B) On a team where he's the best offensive option, he physically cannot guard the best big on the other team and then go be the #1 on offense with an entire team gameplanned around stopping him. C) One of his strengths is beating his man down the floor. He can't be fighting to get the defensive rebound and still do that. D) Those "handful" of non-soft centers includes 2 players on the Thunder, 2 on the L*kers, 1 on the Spurs, 1-2 on the Clippers, 1-2 on the Grizzlies, 1-3 on the Nuggets (depending on what you call Birdman) and 2 on the Jazz. I'll give you two guesses on what those teams have in common.
He does play center but usually just in the 4th quarter. I didn't mind that. I think it keeps him a little fresher. But I think I get your point. We are a better offensive team when he does play center. If we get a banger that playes PF (or if we resign JJ) and we get a big SF who can rebound (like Terrance or Percy Jones) and a tall SG like Batum who can rebound........then i think it can work just fine.
If you want him to play center, that's fine, but you MUST pair him with a particular kind of power-forward who can defend both 4s and 5s -- a real dirty-work kind of guy who likes to mix it up and who scores a ton off of hustle (Brian Grant essentially) and you need a backup 5 who can rebound and soak up about 15-20 minutes when LMA slides over to the 4.
He had a PER of 23+ last year while playing center. But he just seems to hate the idea of playing the 5.
I love me some LA, but I'd hate the thought of our guards trying to work off a LA screen. He sets some of the worst screens I've seen, and if our offense predicates itself through him or around him at the 5, this won't work long-term IMO. Plus, we haven't had a PG that could keep another PG in front of them to save their life in recent years. LA at the 5 would mean constant bombardment of incoming PGs up the middle.
you're talking about offense...who's guarding Bynum, the Gasols, Ibaka, Duncan, Jefferson, Favors, Griffin, etc. when they're posting up?
?? If the issue is him getting beat up on offense, opponent's best defender is always on him anyways, so it's not an issue. If the issue is him getting beat up on defense, then the guys you listed are laughable. OKC has 2? No. Covering Perkins or Ibaka is just fine. Birdman? McGee? 1-2 on the Clippers? Jordan and...who? Neither beating him up on defense. Not sure what you're getting at here.
Griffin is a PF. And Aldridge already covers him. Ibaka doesn't have much post up game, but Aldridge also covers him. If you include Bynum and Gasol, you must realize he is already covering one of them in the game.
