Looks like we are moving up in the rankings........ http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/FuturePowerRankings-1-130530/1-5
Sounds accurate, except for the implication Babbit is the best player off the bench. God that was a weak bench . . . who was the best off the bench? Couldn't possibly be Babbit, right?
We're in for a rough near-future. With Leonard starting and no Hickson on the team, we would have had 10-15 fewer wins. Until Olshey finds a center, that's what we're looking at every season. Prince LaMarcus doesn't LIKE to pay center, so don't bother him. He'd rather powder his face.
Actually I think LMA has a pretty good grasp of the situation. We need someone a hell of a lot bigger than him for the majority of the game. Then he can play center for a portion of the 4th.
While LMA thinks we need a big to clog the paint, he does not think we need someone a hell of a lot bigger than him to play a majority of the game. http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2013/05/qa-lamarcus-aldridge-2/
That is exactly what I was referring to. LMA knows he will be in the middle on and off in crunch time. We need someone big to bang with the few big centers, then get Leonard some minutes, and LMA can finish the game with 4 other shooters on the floor.
I predict that when we finally solve the Center position, the player will be no taller than Aldridge. Aldridge should just gain 10-15 pounds and do it himself, but he refuses.
Right now he is listed at 240 on NBA.com. That is perfect for his position. Why do you want to make him into a center? Yes we need someone to do the dirty work inside, but why waste LMA on that? Let someone with less skills then him be our hustle guy, pick up fouls, and get hurt. We need LMA on the floor. Right now he can play 38-40 minutes because he is not a full time center. More weight would be a huge mistake IMO. He plays center in the 4th, which is all we need. Someone like Hibbert would have been ideal, or even DMC. But we can get a 2nd tier big man whose role is to be more of an enforcer. Play about 25 minutes a game and bang people all game long. But we also need a big who can score, and that is LMA. I don't think we are going to find someone who can do both for more than 25 minutes. There just are not that many of them out there.
So that the opponent can attack the hoop and shoot 60+% shots while we're bombing away with 40% shots? Sounds like a great way to lose games.
That's NBA purgatory. We couldn't be in a worse position. Unless you're one of the glamour franchises, you have to get really bad to get really good. If you're mediocre, that's where you stay. You don't get a good enough draft pick to improve your team, you waste your money on signing and re-signing your mediocre talent and you're not good enough to attract any free agent unless you overpay for them. Bottom line, we need to find a way to get shitty, or long term, we're screwed.
I guess it depends if we are ahead or behind. If we are ahead and they need to shoot 3's or foul us to catch up then I doubt we would have your typical 260 pound center in the game that can't jump out at the shooters or make his free throws. There is a reason why most teams go small in the last few minutes. It may not be smart, but most teams do it. And if we are behind, (Like we have been) a quick trapping team of shooters has been known to be successful. Bottom line is you need to give your coach a roster that is flexible. Small ball works if done in small doses.
Doesn't Indiana's success this year prove that you don't need to go in the tank before getting good? Houston and Atlanta seem to be on similar paths too. Indy just needed a bit of luck (like the injuries to DRose/Rondo) and they're two wins away from getting to the finals.
I used to think the west was pretty much gonna be owned by OKC for the next ten years, but they messed up by trading away a huge part of their core. HOU if they land Dwight will be formidable, but not unbeatable. Both LA teams seem to be steeped with drama. GS' future rests on two extremely brittle ankles. Minny/Sac/etc are all too shitty either front office wise, or personnel wise to matter. Spurs will eventually be done. Dallas is a few years behind us (no prospects like Dame, aging Dirk) The west is more wide open than people think. We gotta make some steps to get into the playoffs first. It will help us find our deficiencies, then address them more head on.
You thought this team was mediocre last year? I thought they fell into "really bad" last year . . . bottom 10 in the league. In fact they have been really bad the last 2 years.
There best player, Paul George was a lottery pick Lottery picks in 2007 (conveyed to Atlanta), 2008, 2009, 2010
I think you're pointing to the exception rather than the rule. And I'm not satisfied with a team that needs six sigma luck to make it to the second round. I want a team that will compete for a championship. We're not even close here. In fact, our ceiling right now is a #6 seed and a first round loss. And that's if everything breaks our way. No thank you.
I was referring to our future. Even sucking as much as we did, we could only manage the #10 pick. We need to be shittier than that. We need another 2006.
