Signing Dalembert Closed the Door on Resigning Chuck Hayes

The Rockets did not want him back that badly, the clearly thought he was priced out of their range, and made a cursory move to try to appease the fans.

DD

 

Actually the post that I was responding to said we need a player taller than our coach, not that we need a shot blocker.

In response I posted a list of the tallest NBA rotational players, none of which has titles. Actually, there has never been a rotational player 7'3" or taller to win a championship.

But since you made the point, yes the 5 greatest centers of all time won multiple titles, but it was not due to height, it was due to skills. Thats like saying we need a 6'6 SG because Jordan and Kobe won multiple titles or a 6'10 three pt shooting PF cause Robert Horry won multiple rings.


In the last 40 years only 10 times has the Finals MVP been 7ft. or taller. That includes multiples from the guys you mentioned plus Tim Duncan & Dirk. Also Dream may be a little under which would make it 8.

So 20-25% of the time someone at least 7ft wins mvp. But 30-35% of the time someone 6'6" or under wins the MVP.

The point is it doesnt matter how tall a player is, its how skilled a player is. If we had a center averaging 4 blocks per game, and shutting down the post, people around here would still say he was too short to play center if he was under 6'10".

You dont have to be TALL to be a successful post defender, you dont even have to be a great shot blocker; as a matter of fact as short as Chuck Hayes is he still was one of the top 10, possibly top 5 post defenders at center last year. Causing turnovers by drawing charges or getting steals is even better than blocks, because it actually changes possession of the ball. If I had to choose between a tall player and a player who plays passing lanes well, denies inside position, forces turnovers, rebounds, makes hustles plays, and prevents easy scores, I choose the latter.

Of course it is preferred to have a great shot blocker for weakside help defense and intimidation, but that doesnt have to be at center. PFs can do that too. Interesting fact last season blocks per 48 mins, Jordan Hill 2.22 greater than: Josh Smith, Tyson Chandler, Nene, Pau Gasol, Elton Brand, Marcin Gortat, and Brook Lopez

 

I stand by my statement.
We need a someone taller than our coach.
Suckers can interpret what they want of that statement.

 

A few things:

1. I'm pretty sure the implication about needing a center taller than the coach is that having a 6'6 center is not going to win us titles. It's just not. Hayes would be good at PF but we aren't going to win with him playing center. So bringing up that no one above 7'3 won a title is pointless. There's almost a foot of wiggle room there.
2. You brought up that shot blocking doesn't have to come from our center. It doesn't. But it has to come from somewhere. It's not even really shot blocking but just we need a guy that can make shots difficult in the paint. We don't have that on our team. Scola and Hayes were both good at drawing charges, but if the opponent just shot over them they couldn't block it.
3. Jordan Hill is a good shot blocker per 48 minutes, but at his current ability if we're playing him starters minutes we have a problem.

 

Google: Wes Unsled

Would you rather have Karl Malone or Kwame Brown, Ben Wallace or Derek Anderson, Charles Barkley or Brad Miller, Darco Milicic or Carmelo Anthony. If you judge how good a player is by height you should join the Bobcats and draft with Jordan. Sure if everything else is equal, the taller player gets the edge, but saying that we NEED a player over 6'10 is silly.

Actually it all makes sense now...someone should tell the Miami Heat that the reason they can't win a championship is because their centers are under 6'10 :grin:

 

Your analogy fails on the basis that Chuck Hayes has nothing in common with Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, or Carmelo Anthony. You're simply arguing that the only way TO win a championship is to have 6'6" players.

 

Why the hell do people need to interpret your statements? Are you Nostradamus?

 

Actually, I wasnt talking about Chuck Hayes specifically. My point is that a shorter center is not necessarily inferior. I was addressing the people who make arguments like: He's not tall enough, We need a 7footer, or We need a player taller than our coach.

Wes Unsled played center at 6'7 and won an MVP his rookie year. He also won a championship and was finals MVP, so you definitely can win a championship with a 6'7 center.

The point is it doesnt matter how tall a player is, its how skilled a player is. If we had a center averaging 4 blocks per game, and shutting down the post, people around here would still say he was too short to play center if he was under 6'10".

 

Unseld was a great player but the league was different in the 1970s-- less athletic.

 

Why hasn't Dalembert signed?

 

DD, this is not a cursory move. Dalembert is a Rockets moneyball acquisition. He perfectly fits the role they need him for and he will be in the exact situation to maximize his talents. He comes cheaply and without a huge years commitment. And he is a great guy.

 

They don't have to but someone took my statement and started some dumb argument about tall players.
no. I'm a 99er.
Here to defeat non believers!

 

I'd rather have the shorter, but better players.

You are missing the point. Hayes can't patrol the paint. He's a good defensive PF, not a good defensive C. You are right when you say that big guys can be short and still block shots and intimidate people when they try to attack the rim. The problem is... Chuck Hayes can't do that and neither could anyone on our team. Jordan Hill or Thabeet are still atleast a year away from being good enough to be a legit starter. By the Dalembert's contract will probably be out and if we bring him back it would be in a back up role.

They have a C that does a decent job at patrolling the paint, but you know what the number one thing the Heat were looking for in the offseason was? A defensive C. If Dalembert was willing to take MLE money the Heat would've been glad to have him.