It feels like we're one PF away from being really good

I don't think we need an elite PF, but we also can't have Aminu in the starting line up. He's not a starter.
Ed Davis - if he could develop a 10-15' jumper - could be a fine starting PF. If could get that jumper he could be similar to Haslem.

 

Some of the names thrown out in this thread are NBA "Dinosaurs", and don't really fit Stotts system, in particular:
http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/240285/The-NBAs-Dinosaurs

Interestingly, Kanter and Monroe are poster children for the Dinos, and we tried to get both of them.

 

McCollum a backup on a playoff team? Only if that playoff team was the Bulls, the Warriors, the Heat, or the Rockets. Last I looked there are 16 playoff teams but even if you are only thinking just the West then there are 8 total and only 2 teams wouldn't start him over their current guy. He is 6th in SG PER, 4th in SG Value Added, 4th in Estimated Wins Added, and tied for 3rd in SG scoring for the whole NBA.

 

Yeah someone must of been a little sauced up last night when they posted that.

 

Is your goal to be a 45-win team that just makes the playoffs? Because that's what you get with two guards that can't play defense. McCollum is best off the bench as instant offense in a three guard rotation.

 

Can't? That is false opinion imo. So, please stop pretending what you see us get as absolutely what we will get.

Both Dame and CJ have come a long way on the defensive end this season. Do they still have far to go? Probably. But shows they want to get there.

Both guys outscore their counterparts on average more than they give up on D.

I think I will leave this up to POR Brass and Coach. They would know if CJ is best for us starting or coming off the bench better than you or I in this case.

 

We are in kind of a pickle with the PF position.

Meyers is a stretch 5, Plumlee is a 5, Davis is a Haslem type backup 4, Vonleh and Alexander are too young.

We are almost forced into playing small ball if we want to keep Aminu at the 3. So we need to look at players who fit the kind of game Michael Beasley played to fit our 4. I think Jabari Parker would be a good fit but we still lack rim protection.

 

Thad Young and David Lee. Both are acquireable. Both fit a need. Young is athletic and can run the floor. Lee is a low post scorer.

 

But Cj is damn near better than Dame

 

CJ could be 6 man of the year and get an allstar nod ...just because he doesn't start the 1st qtr, he'd play the same minutes and end most games. I like defense in the first qtr of a game so the bench can build on a lead. Dame can look to score early and Crabbe has length on defense. I think Vonleh is going to make huge progress toward being a better PF

 

As someone posted here, if CJ doesn't start, he may bolt if given the chance. More than likely he'll be starting from here on out.

 

Trading for Lee would be one of the worst things we could do. He's at the end of his career and would take up valuable development time from guys like Meyers and Vonleh. If I'm going for an old guy I'd try to pry a Gasol from the Bulls.

 

Abused in what way? By who? Rodman was one of the best rebounders in history at 6'7 210. Buck Williams was 6'8 220. Then you've got bigger guys like LA that are pussies inside. It's about attitude.

And don't even give me the BS that those guys are too small for the game today. They played during the toughest, most physical era, and battled guys like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley, who are a hell of a lot tougher than anyone in the game today.

Aminu's rebounding% has been better this year than "big boy" Meyers Leonard. And that from the SF position.

 

Wrong Gasol

 

It seems to me that Aminu would be better as a PF, just because he doesn't have the ball handling skills you like in a wing. But he is a decent 3pt shooter, which is something Stotts likes in his PFs.

Funny thing about his defense, with the Mavs, his defensive rating was really good inside. -7%, but not so good on the perimeter +4% on 3 pointers. With the Blazers his inside defense has been a wash, but he's been -5% on 3 pointers.

 

Rodman is hardly the norm. He was an anomaly. For this to make any sense are we to expect Aminu to play like the Rodman of today? Yes there have been smaller guys that can rebound, very tall PG's, undersized SG's etc but the ones that stand out, as you mentioned, were best in class.... u think Aminu will give us likewise?

I'm not saying he couldn't play there, OR the guys you quoted weren't great, BUT to use those as examples of "ERR you're wrong cause the best rebounder we've seen recently did it so Aminu can/will makes sense' is a bit of a reach bro.

 

It negates your assertion that you have to weigh so much to play inside. And weight is the only argument you made, but plenty of guys have done well inside who are smaller than Aminu, and plenty are worse who are thicker and/or taller.

His defensive rebounding % is over 20%, which is very good for a SF, and would probably be higher if he were playing more inside at PF. As a comparison, Lamarcus' career defensive rebounding percentage is 19%.

 

Thing is, CJ is amazing out of the gate. Go look at his 1st quarter stats. I think you build an early lead by coming at in all out attack mode offensively, and build confidence defensively based on what is done offensively

 

I just think Dame and CJ often cancel each other out in the first qtr...let Dame spark the starters and Crabbe defend the 2 guards, then bring CJ in halfway through.It's something I've wanted but it looks like Stotts likes them together

 

He's only 32, and his game isn't based on athleticism. I just think he needs more PT. This year he's averaging 17pts, 10reb, and 4ast per 36 on 48% FG and 79% from the line. That's about identical to his career numbers, so I don't think he's dropped off much. He's the low post scorer that we need, and if he doesn't when out, his contract expires and were fine.