Just looked up Dwight's minutes per game in the playoffs for his career and with the Rockets. He has averaged 39 min/night In both scenarios. So we are hand wringing over who will play 9 min/night in the playoffs behind Dwight? Really? Once again if he is hurt we are screwed regardless. You only need one rotation big off the bench in the playoffs so it needs to be somebody that can play both positions. We have that guy. D mo. He is the one to discuss. Not Black.
Really? D-Mo is far ahead of him and does just one thing well. Shut down the opponents offense. But he does that really really well. It is the most important thing a back up playoff-caliber center can do. When he leaves Houston (and I hope Morey trades him instead of letting him walk like Parsons) he is going to be a really good starting center in the NBA. The man is a mountain and plays Asik style great defense. Great anticipation, great rotations and will dive on the hardwood for loose balls.
I'm fine with Black and DMO getting more minutes there once jones is back but I definitely wouldn't mind looking to Denver to take one of their 3 centers off their hands. None are starters but all are good backups
This is all that matters. Jones can only play PF. Dwight can only play C. Playoff rotations except for SA involve 8 maybe 9 players with one big off the bench. So the 3rd big for us needs to play both. The problem last year was Asik as the 3rd big was a one position player trying to play both. If D mo can hold that spot down then our big rotation off the bench is fine. Our perimeter defense not allowing free runs to the rim is more important than backup C.
I don't blame Morey for taking Black over Adrien. I do blame him for wasting a roster spot on Dorsey. Maybe he signed Dorsey not as a player but a future trade asset. <iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_LIFVX-Lgz0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>
That's not what you said. You said no Asik + better team defense is better than Asik + no team defense. What does having Asik have to do with the rest of the team's defense? I can only now gather that you are just making a comparison to last year's team? Well, who gives a *** about last year's team? Were they a championship team? Is our goal to have a first round exit? So, why are you making the comparison? Like I said before in this thread, two years ago against the Thunder, our backup center Greg Smith was like combined +/- of -40 or something in the series. I recall the stat from a thread on this site, and I'm not going out & re-doing the math. If we have a competent, defensive backup center that series, we might win that series. As I have said NUMEROUS times on this site, 12 minutes is 25% of the game! Why don't you take a nap during 25% of all your future work hours and see if that gets you to the top of your profession? 25% is significant.
Perfect. D-Mos job description does not have score points in it at all. The Rockets have players who can score more than enough points. His job is to go out there and shut down the lane. He rotates as well as any big in the game. Maybe even better than Asik. He is mobile enough and comfortable enough to man either the 4 or the 5. And he is huge. No more 220 pound rookie there. Maybe Hibbert can put him on his butt, but that would be a rare thing. Unfortunately D-Mos natural position is the 5, like Howard's. I expect the Rockets to trade him this off season because if he hits the FA market Houston will not be able to afford him. He probably will bring a lot back. About this time three years ago HMMMMMM and several Eastern Europeans and I were discussing D-Mo after watching one of his Prokom games. I mentioned that D-Mo was a natural born center and they laughed at me. "To much weight gain! It will slow him down. He will loose his quickness!" Well, for a seven footer that big, D-Mo is one quick man.
Lin was traded the day after Bosh. I don't know why the Asik dump could not have waited til the same timeframe. Why do people value Asik's wishes so d*mn much? If he doesn't want to play, don't pay him. He's under contract. This first round pick is not that valuable with the Pelicans predictably winning as much as they have. We basically got nothing for one of the best centers in the league.
And then three years ago there were those Carl .jifs showing "alligator arms D-Mo". I laughed myself silly.
Don't be bitter. It had to happen. And it was not Morey's fault. He did right by Asik. It will serve him well in the future.
You nailed it. I'm bitter. I do enjoy your posts illuminating the strengths of D-Mo's defense though. Maybe he would be serviceable at center. I was dismayed that McHale did not play him at ALL in the playoffs.
I felt McHale's decision was "interesting". Read that as I am not going to criticize the head coach. I imagine this season we will see D-Mo all up in LMA's grill. I look forward to it. By the numbers (and I do do a lot of numbers) D-Mo has shut down everybody he has faced this season. It should be interesting. Best to you.
