If Dwight doesn't re-sign, who will be our center?

I expect the Rockets to sign Cole Aldrich, and then Aldrich and Capela will split time at the center position. Aldrich may not be our first choice, but it will be who we end up with.

 

Unless capella gets a mid-range jumper and hakeems post moves we need a new center

 

Whiteside should be the number one target but I'm not against drafting a big man and signing Pau

 

i was actually going to say aldrich.

other names to backup/split time with capela are mahinmi, mozgov, hibbert, biyombo.

its just not worth spending a lot of money on a defensive center anymore. capela with any of these guys can provide good enough rim protection and defensive rebounding. our money is better spent elsewhere.

 

Since we're gonna suck next year anyway, Capela will suffice at center.

 

First choice would be Horford, Jefferson and Mahinmi, gonna be difficult though. If he's cheap, give Hibbert a try on a short contract. Noah might be available, but he's a huge risk.

Don't even consider going for Whiteside.

 

How's Yao's foot looking?

 

Sam Dekker.

 

Mike Muscala

We're talking about realistic targets ...

Sigh ...

 

Skal Labissiere is the best player in this draft, at the rate we're losing he's in range. If he puts on 10 pounds and keeps his quickness he could be one of the best big men in the league. His game is tailor fitted to compliment Harden's and Beasley's for that matter. We should draft him first and then go into free agency in a position of strength:
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Cole Aldrich is not bad.

 

The kind of center we need is a Mehmet Okur type - IMHO, it should be DMo.

DD

 

Capela was originally projected as a 4, but he will make his way in the league as a 5. He will be a starting C in this league. I just don't know if you want that to be next year. It will be his 3rd year, but big-men have a longer learning curve. If Dwight had played out his final year I think Capela would've been ready do step in. Game randomly speeds up for him and he blows bunnys. The more time he has, the less that will happen. He could start next year, but you may see some flashes of youth, even for stretches of games, but I'm a believer in Capela.

 

He has flop written all over him. Post up moves galore against small guys. None of that stuff is gonna work in the Association. He's 3-4 years away from being able to contribute. That is if he can actually mature and move away from lame brain.

This is a guy that couldn't get minutes on his college team. He would be of no use to us next season. And we really can't afford to take on a project at this stage since we have regressed so badly this year.

 

I've also wondered why D-Mo hasn't gotten more minutes at center this season. I know he doesn't give the team any rim protection, but he plays decent team defense, rotates well, and can show on opponents' PnR's. His impact on the offensive end should also mitigate some of the "damage" his presence at center causes on defense.

If they re-sign D-Mo, I think a (healthy) D-Mo/Capela combo would at least be serviceable (together with another defensive big signed on the cheap for depth). It's just the "health" part that would worry me.

 

Capela should be our C if Dwight is out. I hope we sign Noah too, they'd make a great tandem at C. Noah can teach Capela how to be a better passer, defender and more aggressive.

 

Headed for Thibs/Noah reunion.

 

Harden is our 4 on defense

 

No, it shouldn't be DMO. He offers zero rim protection and has been in the NBA for years and hasn't established himself.

 

2 years ago when Dwight was out, DMo was 8th in the league in rim protection. He got good at using his 7' bigness to go straight up and down vertically and affect shots while not picking up a foul. Didn't get a lot of blocks that way but affected shots. His boards did better too. Imagine that....boards going up when you ask your 7 footer to stay closer to the rim instead of camping out 24 ft away from the basket.

But he also broke his back banging down there. Capela/DMo isn't so bad. C position is just different now. Id rather shift those superstar dollars from the C to the PF position. Swing for the fences first with Durant, right, but get a semi-star like Horford for PF. Horford/Capela/DMo is a nice stable of bigs. Blow up all that Howard money to address PF, bench, PG....