Interesting take from ESPN's Ford on the state of Lottery 4's, that is teams already home for the summer (two of this Board's favorite sources of conversation are 'good, but lack supporting cast' / and this Board's favorite nondeveloped stud is still too young) : What do Malik Allen, Othella Harrington, Christian Laettner, Tyson Chandler, Carlos Boozer, Jerome Williams, Eddie Griffin, Pau Gasol, Donnell Harvey, Troy Murphy, Elton Brand, Shareef Abdur Rahim and Reggie Evans all have in common? They were the starting power forwards for the 13 teams that landed in the lottery for this year's NBA Draft. They all have something else in common, too. They are A) very good but lack much of a supporting cast (Brand, Abdur Rahim); B) still too young to carry a team (Gasol, Murphy, Griffin, Chandler, Boozer); or, C) they have no business getting floor time outside of shoot arounds (the rest). Now compare that list with this one: Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowtizki, Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Amare Stoudemire, Karl Malone, Jermaine O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Antoine Walker, Kenyon Martin, Drew Gooden, Derrick Coleman, P. J. Brown, Anthony Mason and Samaki Walker. With the exception of the Lakers, every team in the playoffs this season has a big-time power forward. While they range from All-Star to pretty good, there's no question that having a big forward makes a big difference. "Everyone talks about the disparity between the West and the East, but it really comes down to the power forwards," one Eastern Conference GM told Insider. "The West has a bunch of good ones, the East has three or four. And none of them are on par with the Garnetts, Duncans and Webbers of the West." The Lakers were the only team in the West that made it to the playoffs without an All-Star caliber power forward. In the East, Abdur Rahim was the only decent power forward left out of the playoffs. The big guys matter, folks. That's why teams go nuts over power players in the draft. Last year, six power forwards were drafted in the lottery. In 2001, the first three picks were power forwards, and nine overall were taken in Round 1. Teams still can't get enough. The good news is that, without question, this is one of the deepest drafts ever at the power forward position. As many as 15 power players have a shot at getting drafted in Round 1. Like we don't know we have an urgent need to up up upgrade the 4!
You need big men - but your Big Man can be a 4 or 5. Lakers don't have a great 4. Most of those great 4s don't have very good 5s next to them. With Yao, all we need at the 4 is a thug. He doesn't have to be Duncan.
I hate to make excuses but... IMHO, comparing Eddie Griffin to the elite PF's in the WC has a narrow focus. Griffin only plays 24.5 mpg. From a strictly team concept, the true measure of the WC PF position is to take the combined team productivity at the position for 48 minutes. I can't find it right now, but I recall doing this in the past and Griffin + Taylor are not that far off vs the other WC teams.
Time out. Take EG + MoT - opposition 4s. Net? Rox in Lotto, again. It has not been close for a long time.
'A Thug'? To do what? Do you mean a strong Power Forward that plays defence? If so who would you like to see play for us?
samaki walker? anthony mason? big time? these guys are 3rd stringers... "B) still too young to carry a team (Gasol, Murphy, Griffin, Chandler, Boozer); " give griff 1 more season. sheesh....hes attempted the same amount of shots this year...but nearly 100 less 3s. rebounding more in less time. and he gained what? 10, 15lbs of muscle last summer? if he does the same this year, and continues to work on his post game. he'll do fine.
EG + Mo T in 45.1 mpg: 17.0 ppg / 9.6 rpg / 1.77 bpg / 2.1 apg / 1.01 spg Stoudamire + Outlaw in 55.8 mpg: 18.2 ppg / 13.4 rpg / 1.95 bpg / 2.4 apg / 1.39 spg Stoudamire + Outlaw in 45.1 mpg: 15.3 ppg / 11.2 rpg / 1.6 bpg / 2.0 apg / 1.17 spg Do you not see that collectively Griffin and Taylor have as much PF output as the Suns? The Suns did make the playoffs as I recall. And this is Taylors worst season as a pro. You will have to put your perceptions and predjudices aside. I have done the numbers in a prior discussion and collectivley there is not that much difference in the WC. Try the math before expressing an opinion.
My sentiments exactly, not to mention ROY Amare Stoudemire. Though I think Kenyon Martin's on his way to 'big-time.'
I think Othella is a good back-up. He has no business starting, but an Othella/MoT backcourt would probably be more consistent (and a bit "tougher") than the one we fielded last season...
Good points, Gater. Are there any stats on opposing PFs points vs. the Rockets, compared to their average against other teams? Or at least points against Rockets as opposed to points against all teams? I know this would be hard to come up with, but this stat would complete the picture.
Thanks, the point I was going to offer back to Gater. Everyone's 4s consistently better their numbers against our 4s, it certainly appears to me. EG has shown improvement against the long 4s like Sheed and KG, but the gap remains chasmotic.
lol....ain't big time. But the first three are still better than Eddie. Kenyon Martin is getting better......excellent defense and now getting better at offense. Gooden is just a rookie but is already having a big impact and can develop. Coleman is fat and slow but can shoot and is an all right role playing center.... Anthony Mason. LOL. Anyways... Cuttino Mobley, Eddie Griffin, Terence Morris, Kelvin Cato, and a 1st Round Draft Pick FOR Elton Brand and Quentin Richardson.
"Kenyon Martin is getting better......excellent defense and now getting better at offense." he damn well better be a better player at this point than eddie. He was a number 1 pick 3 years ago. he couldnt (still aint that great) at boarding, yet hes 27 years old getting to his prime in the weak east. "Gooden is just a rookie but is already having a big impact and can develop." you make it sound like griffs gonna be this way his entire career. griffs younger and as more tools. we knew we were getting a project when we traded for him. but you dont think that griff can develop as well? and DC? dude, this guys in the last years of his dissapointing career. he had a shot to be something after he was doing well his first few seasons, and then he just floundered.
I thought it was funny that Mo Taylor is getting paid like a stud, but isn't playing like one. He averages 8.4 pts and 3.6 rebs, while shooting 43%. Can't believe we actually gave this guy $48 million. Huge mistake.
The only payback I can see is if his agent repays Rox love by replacing him at the Rox' 4 with one of his own, and helps relocate this guy somewhere new and exotic (translated: Brand in, MoT out).
Falk is a snake. He doesn't give a damn about loyalty. All he cares about is the green. The only way Mo would be involved in a Brand trade would be in a 3-way deal, where we end up with Elton Brand, and some Bryant Reeves-type contract.
They're more "big-time" than what the Rockets currently have @ the 'four.' I'd take either one of those players over Griffin, Mo-T, T-Mo (do we play him @ the PF-spot sometimes?).
