Rank the centers that Portland has been rumored to have interest

Robin is my second favorite. Asik is #1. I think that order is great factoring the savings you mentioned. Dalembert is third; since he would be cheap. Pek is gonna be a big mistake, IMO.

 

Asik is ideal, provided we can get him as described (cap space, future pick). Then Lopez I guess.

Otherwise I'd be ok with us adding a couple of rotation centers like Jermaine and Dalembert. Guys who play hard defense, won't bitch about playing 20 minutes, and create flexibility for us to move later or rotate in Leonard, slide LMA to center to close out the game, or whatever.

It's a low risk, moderate reward strategy if it seems doable with the money we have.

Basically, I just want competence from my center position, especially on the defensive end. If our centers don't lose us games, I'm optimistic about Lillard/LMA and supporting cast winning games.

Aside from competence, I want flexibility. I don't really know how a guy like Pekovic would fit into this roster, but if we dump contracts and get him for $12m/year, we're stuck with trying to work it out for the next 4 years. Pek puts up great stats, but just look at those Twolves records.

Really, though, I'm kind of warming to the whole "trade LMA for picks" plan. If we could do that, this center discussion is moot. You go with Robinson and the Ivory Towers and tank fast and hard.

 

OMG that was funny! Repp'd

 

I see the Nuggets are wasting no time re-signing Mozgov. They preferred getting rid of Koufos and keeping him. He is going to prove some people wrong on this board.

 

1.) Asik
2.) Dalembert
3.) Lopez
4.) Pek
5.) Bynum
6.) Kaman
7.) Splitter
8.) ZaZa

 

The fact that Oden is getting more interest than Bynum says quite a lot, I think.

 

Well one is going to accept an at or below MLE deal and the other still wants big money.

 

Tanking is hard in today's NBA, About 1 in 4 teams are already trying to do it. We can't compete with those cellar dwellers unless we dump obviously Aldridge, but probably one of Batum or Lillard as well. At that point how many losing seasons will it take us to build up the talent on the roster to the point we are at right now? Then once we do that it'll be difficult to tank; we would still be a few lucky moves away from contending.

I'd be fine with tanking if it was some secret to success no other NBA teams were trying. But its been tried and its currently being tried by dozens of teams and most likely it will end in failure. Most likely we will fail at winning a championship no matter what strategy we undertake but I'd rather have some fun along the ride and hope for a lucky break. That is much better than a decade of misery to try and win multiple ping pong ball selections.

 

If he hasn't been mentioned, then he must be the front runner.

 

Will someone please clone Sabonis or transfer Bill Walton's brain into Meyers Leonard's body with one of those mad-scientist zzzzzttttt machines? I don't think that's asking too much.

 

I'd settle for Roy's brain in qyntel wood's body

 

You have Bynum too high. I'd put him as high as a knat's eye. The posters who rank him at the top are the same ones who worry that Oden will embarrass us with a big comeback.

 

Whether we like it or not, these 3 may be our only options:
(Descriptions from Hoopshype) To be honest if Pachulia can bounce back from his injury, he may be the best option. He is the best defender of the three. (And slightly the youngest)

Zaza Pachulia
Position: C
Born: 02/10/84
Height: 6-11
Weight: 265 lbs.
Plays physical ... Good game with his back to the basket... Runs the floor decently... Tough defender... Lots of temper.

Samuel Dalembert
Position: C
Born: 05/10/81
Height: 6-11
Weight: 250 lbs.
Very long... Huge wingspan... Excellent shot blocker... Runs the floor well... Fluid athlete... Little offensive game... Low basketball IQ... Very inconsistent.

Chris Kaman
Position: C
Born: 04/28/82
Height: 7-0
Weight: 268 lbs.
Very big and talented... Runs the floor well... Skilled offensive player... Can score with both hands... Makes no mistake from the free-throw line...Average rebounder... Doesn't put much effort on the defensive end.

 

True but I do think Pachulia is the better defender. And the one description about Dalembert that I hate (and also believe to be true) is his low BB IQ.
I think that is the main reason he never gets the minutes he thinks he deserves.