Is JH the only shooting PF you've heard of? What about KG, Dirk, Shawn Marion, Elton Brand, Pau Gasol, Al Harrington, Antawn Jamison, Troy Murphy, Rasheed Wallace & others? Every one of them regularly drills jumpshots and each one is way better than JH. The fact JH is washed up doesn't mean a good shooting PF wouldn't mesh well with Yao. With Yao as our center, a player on the court at ANY other position that can't shoot is a liability for us on offense.
The Spurs have been using Horry as a starter while bringing Rasho and Nazr off of the bench. Horry isn't going to light up the stat sheet and neither is Bowen, but they are both so intelligent and experienced that their contributions and intangibles they provide cannot be measured on a stat sheet. What intangibles does Howard bring? Sure, he's regular-season-experienced and is a positive influence in the locker room, but that does nothing to help what he lacks on the defensive end. Since the Francis/T-Mac trade our team has been one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the league. We're an excellent defensive rebounding team but what good does being an effective defensive rebounding team do for your offense? We need a glass-eater playing close to the basket to create extra possessions and do the dirty work. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, just looked at the PG/SG/SF/C rotation likely to be playing the most minutes..... -Alston - Jacks up countless threes -Whoever we get at SG - Will be capitalizing off of kick-outs and open opportunities created by double teams -T-Mac - Although he is a gifted scorer that can knock it down from anywhere, he seems to prefer playing on the perimeter anymore -Yao - Will need somebody crashing the glass and collecting misses In this kind of situation, if we actually acquire a legit 3rd option it is likely to come at SG. This makes whoever we get at PF the 4th or 5th option on offense thus not getting as many looks. What sense does it make to have this 4th or 5th option at PF positioned 10 feet or more away from the basket while other players are taking shots? I really think it makes the most sense to have this player positioned close to the basket battling, fighting, rebounding and creating extra opportunities.
you are right man.. all of these are great shooting PF's , but THEY ARE NOT ONLY GOOD SHOOTING, THEY ARE GREAT PF'S (except for Harrington obviously).... all of them can rebound, post up, and DUNK..all of these are EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, we are talking about an above average PF who can rebound and do the dirty work.. shooting is a great bonus (advantage) for PFs, but we are looking for an INEXPENSIVE player in which we can rely upon to do all the pf dirty work.. if he can do that and shoot, he is more than welcome ,but I dont think his price will fit with us . .
Most seem to agree that a good two-guard is the priority, and if one is available at #8, we should get him over a banger like Shelden Williams. Having said that, if the choice is to take Williams at #8 or try to get rid of the pick for the best available guard, I choose Williams. One thing I like about Williams is he seems like he could make a solid backup center. With that sort of versatility, the Rockets don't have to decide whether to pair Yao with a banger 4 or a 4 that can shoot, they can go for both. Pick up Williams and if/when he's ready, let him split time at the 4 and 5. In the meantime, try to acquire a PF that can shoot who brings what ever traits Williams lacks and also doesn't stink on defense too much. With three solid players in the frontcourt that bring different skillsets, we'll be that much more versatile.
If JVG thinks improving offense is now more important than improving defense (remember this is JVG ) I would not be inclined to disagree.
I've said all along since last summer our 3rd scoring option probably must come from the SG position. My point is we shouldn't be married to that concept. Whatever the position, our 3rd option is going to be from the outside and if it's the PF, fine and well. Please remove Juwan from the discussion. He doesn't represent what I'm talking about because he's no good. The last thing we can afford is a plodding PF next to our own very slow Yao. That is not a good mix. NBA PFs roam around all over the court nowadays and ours needs to also, on offense and defense. This is why Shelden Williams next to Yao would be a big mistake.
