I honest do not understand all the hate on this guy. He is basically a Tyson Chandler clone on the defensive end and he just does not get that much respect. Yes, his rotations are slower than Chandler's, but how many centers can rotate like him? For the past 5 seasons, he has played 82, 82, 82, 82, and 80 games. That is AMAZING durability. He has averaged 8 pts, 8 rebs, and 2 blks in 26 minutes for his career. Last year he averaged 12 pts, 12 rebs, and 2 blks per 36 minutes. His play on the defensive end is EXACTLY what we need. He is somebody that is tall, can alter shots, and go grab rebounds. Some may say that he has low basketball IQ or the fact that he makes questionable plays. I agree that we need to limit his touches on the offensive end, as he sometimes tries to score in the post like he's Hakeem. However, even with his lapses on the offensive end, he is still a huge factor on the defensive end. I know that he's already 30, but with the way he plays, he has at LEAST 5-6 more great years. He relies a lot more on timing for block shots and body control/length for rebounds. The way he alters shots is almost elite. When we played the Kings, it was very difficult for us to score in the paint. He's basically the forgotten man due to his age and all the Nene/Chandler hoopla. If you can get this guy for 4-5 years at around 8-10 million, you HAVE to at least consider this. We will never get a guy like this for the MLE. He's a center and centers are always paid at MARKET value.
He seems content with waiting on us, so we might as well see if we can get something better and just sign him after if things don't work out.
I agree, it's all about the money though, he was overpaid on his last deal, and overpaying for him would be a mistake.
I dont mind him. I'd rather have him cheap than pay whatever nene is going to be getting. neither of them are a long term answer to a center though.
This is what I STRONGLY disagree with. He signed a deal of 6 years $58 million. When he signed the deal, he was a 24 years old. During these 6 years, he produced 9/9/2 in 28 minutes. This would be market value for him. I will gladly pay him 8-10 million, even now. Remember, Haywood signed for close to $9 million per year, which was market value.
he isn't a bad center, but his last contract was the reason most teams stayed away from him. for the right price, he is a viable option versus whatever else is out there.
He leads the league in goaltends every year. He commits stupid fouls. He seems to get called for at least one 3 second violation a game. His shot selection is awful. Dalembert can rebound and he's a defensive presence in the paint. But he comes with lots of warts. He's a 25 mpg player. How much is that worth to you?
I think that we tend to overstate the fact that he commits "stupid" plays. In any given game, if he can block/alter 10 shots a game, that is worth a stupid play here and there. I understand that his basketball IQ is not as high as I would like, but I still think that he's very valuable. With the 76ers, he was around a 30 minute player. I think even Chandler played under 30 minutes last year.
Keep looking at his per 36 numbers and talking myself into it (WITH Gasol). For those that have watched a lot of him, why doesn't he play more minutes? Foul trouble doesn't seem to be an issue.
He makes mental mistakes and has lapses every now and then, but not to the degree of Jordan Hill. He also does not play as much due to his inability to score or anything other than a put back on offense.
It's not that Dalembert is bad but I would not want to commit to him for multiple seasons. He is just average and I would refuse to pay an average guy who's already 30 years old 8 million a season for the next 3-5 years. J Hill is still young and has alot of upside and Mchale is a great big man coach. If we split time between J hill and Thabeet we can get just as much production as we could get from Dalambert
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