I think it is not even clear where Udoka is headed, he did a very good job shoring up the defensive side but I am not sure what he wants to run on Offense because we saw a Sengün led team and we saw a team with Amen and Green running fast breaks.... It is going to be interesting to see where Ime's plan is headed. Shooting as he said will always stay a premium but the general idea has to be executed to the T.
People really just see what they want to see huh. Jokic, Lopez, Tristan/Love, Draymond/Looney, M Gasol and Duncan are the C's who have won the last ten championships. If anything, it seems like having a less athletic C is more likely to lead to a championship. Sengun might be more athletic than everyone on that list.
Ive warmed up to adding Clingan. Especially if he can hit threes at a respectable clip like he says he can.
idk... a few years ago Clutchfans told me that 'bigs were unplayable in todays NBA' that they were too great a defensive liability... y'all remember... it was back during all that small ball nonsense.... lol
Very important to have a big that's long and athletic. That's why they should move up and grab Bona. He's going higher than expected.
High on Ware too, especially for his projected shooting, but Bona... he's going to be a beast. Will be a switchable 4/5. And he should cost less to move up for.
I don’t think much has changed honestly - but you have to pay attention to the nuance. The Warriors proved having versatile skills players at 5 positions was better than having one player that fit each position’s height archetypes and all the coaches and players started to train for the same outcome so tall players worked shooting into their routines and specifically work on hip flexibility for guarding shiftier/faster guards. Also give credit to the Bucks deliberately drafting a whole slew of long versatile guys back in the infancy of their current roster which eventually landed them Giannis, and Lebron made the point forward cool again too(props to Magic - the original point forward). In turn there are more hybrid bigs to choose from today so guys like Chet and Wemby - who may have been forced to play back to the basketball with little emphasis on dribbling skills are now coming in with a much wider array of skills - they can put the ball on the floor and drive, they have range to the 3pt line(another reason why I say Sengun HAS to develop this skill), they can be a weapon popping on screens, they learn both drop and switch defensive coverages, etc. That was all discouraged by coaches before the 2000s so maybe Rick Smits would have been the first Brook Lopez but a coach would have benched him for taking those shots in that era ….the strategy in today’s game is to get the tallest most versatile players and while long players like Chet, Wemby, Sarr, Embid, and Jokic start to prove that you CAN still win with a versatile big what is now actually happening is the decline of the small PG- guys like TyTy Washington aren’t able to play in the NBA because there aren’t as many stiffs big guys to exploit on the perimeter and the overall length at all positions is making it harder for those players to create advantages…and oh by the way - that’s why I give pause to Reed Sheppard despite being a fantastic player because I’m concerned he might be too small and there are far more TyTys than there are Brunsons.
At some point as they put weight on their frame I imagine they will play similar to Embid and offer both looks. Not sure Jabari’s length will make much of an impact at that point.
Yeah but most of those bigs found ways to be effective outside of 10ft from the hoop. THAT is why Sengun needs to develop range.
Yes, there is a need for an athletic center that can move his feet to switch on defense, rim protect, rebound, and stretch the floor. He'll complement what we have for a playoff series. If you look at the present and future of our Western Conference, Minnesota's huge front line, Jokic, Gordon, and MPJ in Denver, OKC with Chet, Zion, Spurs with Wemby. We need to have a big who can do those things in addition to what we have now, that's why Adams was signed also. Ime had Robert Williams in Boston and was very successful, he fit the bill and had a great motor. If he could hit threes and stay healthy he was a beast long-term potentially. This is part of the reason I want Sarr or someone who can complement our roster. Sengun, Sarr, and Jabari can complement each other, and play at the same time to give us a huge front line for certain playoff matchups. Lastly, the only teams to help slow down Jokic had many bigs to rotate on him, the 2020 Lakers with Javale, Dwight, and AD, and now Minnesota with Gobert, KAT, and Reid.
Watching Minnesota with Gobert, Townes and Naz makes me want more size too. I'd love to pull a Sengun like trade to snag Edey, so we can still draft Sheppard or Risacher with the 3rd. Or hell, reverse that and draft Clingan with the third and trade for another pick to snag Dalton Knecht. I'd just love to add both size and shooting this offseason. And I'd feel really great about adding a guy like Clingan or Edey to the rotation with Sengun and Adams. I'm also hoping Jabari comes back stronger, because he certainly has the length to help with the bigger teams in the league.
When I read athletic center, I thought this was a another thread about our practice court and the need to upgrade.
I think it’s more important to have a center that can clog the middle and play defense. Someone who can alter shots but this doesn’t mean they need to be athletic or switchable. Sengun is athletic and it shows in his offense but he isn’t much of a defender. Clingan would be a good backup for those times Sengun struggles. The NBA is all about mix matches so the more different types of players we have the more chances we’ll find a match the other team will struggle with.
