we are fine at the PF spot.. both of them are young and will (s**t I really hope) improve. ------------------ against all odds
My choice: #2 - A point guard that doesn't rebound and a banger power forward who doesn't score... Gets more fundamental when you do that. I think most teams are lacking in fundamentals, so... Our guards rebound exceptionally well - for guards. I really wouldn't want to give that up for a typical low-post banger. But we can't seem to find one, and we do need one, so I'd say #2. Not at the expense of any of our guards, of course... (Maybe the question should have been one of trade - the answers would be totally different) I think Fizer should have been a major target. He's under-producing where he is, but in Rudy's system I think we could have made room for him - I think he'da complimented the guard-sets we're always running. I would've loved to see him out there with Hakeem, too. He would've opened up so much... ------------------
The answer lies in the makeup of the other players. IMHO, Basketball is a true team sport and for a team to compete for the NBA Finals there is a base level of "statistics" which must be maintained. What is required by any 1 or 2 players as individuals is a direct reflection of the collective skills (or lack of skills) of their teammates. Cousy, the Jones boys and other early Celtics got out on their breaks aided by Russell's incredible rebounding. Havlicek (and to some extent McHale) turned the roll of the 6th man into a weapon. Would Bird's success have been diminished without the Chief's imposing inside presence? Would MJ have been as successful without solid numbers from Cartwright and rebounding from Rodman? Magic and Kareem were showtime, but Worthy, Scott, Cooper, AND Rambis all played important roles. Isiah made the 50 All-time Greatest but I'll bet he speaks highly of the contributions of Dumars, Lambier, Mahorn, Sally, and Rodman. How many rings would Dream have without clutch shooting by Mario, Horry, "Jet" Smith, "Mad Max" and rebounds by OT? I once heard it said (I believe by Red Auerbach) that "championships are won by two great players and three VERY, VERY, good players". The skill sets have to all match. ------------------ GATER [This message has been edited by GATER (edited November 25, 2000).]
I know what you are alluding to, Jeff... If I'm going to have a power forward that only does one thing, it would be rebound. Each rebound equals ONE posession (whether it's defensive or offensive rebound). As long as you have two or three other guys on the team who are good scorers, you'll be able to take advantage of all the extra shots. Plus, even if you have to go up against a team with a scoring PF, the extra rebounds this guy gets will make up for a lot of scoring. So, yes, I'd rather keep Steve Francis than Maurice Taylor. Only problem is, both Francis and Mobley are outrebounding Mo Taylor anyway. ------------------
Thanks, VJ. ------------------ I have NBA League Pass. And when the Rockets played the Suns at home, the Suns broadcasters were saying how Kidd is so much better then Francis. Francis schooled Kidd!
