last years frontcourt = trouble

[G-MAN]

knowing z isn't the most mobile center in the league and drew hasn't figured out how to rotate on d = trouble. loosing traylor who at least tried doesn't help either.

upgrading the backcourt is great but staying with gooden next to z is a bad thing. getting a number one for drew should not be a tough thing. the draft is such a crapshoot, getting a 14/10 guy for a pick should not be hard. in a different situation keeping drew and hoping he'd get it at some point might be worth it but not here.

i think drew would fit in phoenix's system well. somewhere there is more of an up and down game. it's getting hard to wait on the sarunas jeraveskas thing but it might have to wait. if it's a.d. i don't think we'd go wrong either.

 

[LyXo]

Agreed. We got totally abused in the paint last season. That can be attributed to lack of perimeter defense (solved: - McInnis, + Hughes), Z being slow (maybe solved: Mike Brown system), and poor help defense (Gooden).

For the 4, I care not about stats. It's not important. I don't care if he puts up only 2 or 20 points a game, 8 or 16 rebounds a game: makes no difference to me. I want him to be tough. I want him to play defense and abuse anyone trying to run the paint. Grab boards with intensity and play tenacious defense. We already have scoring from Z, Hughes, LeBron, and soon Saras. Do we really need a 5th option on offense? Nope.

If we don't find anyone this offseason, save up some money.

My directives?

Sign up a backup center in Cliff Robinson for what we have left after signing Saras.

Start Varejao ahead of Gooden.

Complain about mental mistakes all you want, how raw he is. Gooden has as many mistakes as AV does. For our purposes, I think we could use the energy Varejao has to disrupt opponents. He plays decent man-to-man and gives awesome help. He has a spark here and there on offense, but it'll be his defense that will really fill the fire. Given the job for a few weeks and he'll be a solid 6/12 guy, exactly what we need.

Gooden will accept his job off the bench. He'll post up 8-12 ppg coming off a bench with limited scoring. His mistakes will be masked more playing against opposition benches. Next offseason, we can say bye to him and give a good handshake. He'll have been in the running for the 6th man award and off to a huge contract and the #2-3 option in offense on an up-and-coming team.

 

[KI4MVP]

last year's front court (LeBron/Gooden/Z with AV and Tractor off the bench) was one of the best in the league - it was our backcourt that killed us (McInnis/Newble). Front court in tact (if we bring back tractor) with Jasikevicius/Hughes in the back court should get us to 55+ wins.

 

[ColumbusCavsFan5]

Yeah I agree completely with LJ4MVP. We'll been fine with the front court from last year, as long as we upgrade our PG position along with the Hughes signing.

 

[LyXo]

last year's front court (LeBron/Gooden/Z with AV and Tractor off the bench) was one of the best in the league - it was our backcourt that killed us (McInnis/Newble). Front court in tact (if we bring back tractor) with Jasikevicius/Hughes in the back court should get us to 55+ wins.

Best in the league in terms of offense, I believe. AV was good, Tractor was decent. Z + Gooden were terrible protecting the middle though. Gooden wasn't ever there, Z would be slow and not able to stop penetration. No blame for him, but still, it attributed to the poorest defensive frontcourt in the NBA. Clearest example? Last time we played Philly, when Dalembert erupted for 23 points (10/15) in 28 minutes and Marc Jackson for 24 (11/19) in 29 minutes. 60 total points in the paint. 60. For the season, Dalembert averaged 8 ppg. Jackson averaged 12 off the bench. It was made way too easy for them.

 

[Pioneer10]

This is why we need an additional bruiser. The problem with Tractor is while he had the bulk on D people shot over him. The opposite with Gooden who has a hell of a time guarding physical 4's like Brand.

I think we add somebody like Potapenko (big and tall) and call it a day. Z, V, Gooden, and AV would be solid enough IMO.

 

[cdt]

I hate Potapenko, Jerome James please, I never liked Vitaly I hated the Ukraine train crap, please dont sign that clown pleaaase.

 

[CBBI]

Hopefully Mike Brown can actually TEACH these guys some defense instead of the Silas "glare at you, scream and growl when you dont rotate" style.

 

[RichOne]

gooden will be ok for us this year people. i agree that we need a bruiser down low for the 4 spot but drew is better than oh, tony battie...? gooden and v-joe both will be ok at the 4 with a quailty defending backcourt. plug and play a couple back up big men i.e. dale davis and we will be ok.. i think with brown at the helm drew will be ok..

 

[PIP]

gooden will be ok for us this year people. i agree that we need a bruiser down low for the 4 spot but drew is better than oh, tony battie...? gooden and v-joe both will be ok at the 4 with a quailty defending backcourt. plug and play a couple back up big men i.e. dale davis and we will be ok.. i think with brown at the helm drew will be ok..

yeah but didn't tony at least play some "D"..

drew couldn't guard a ham sandwich..

 

[TheAdmin]

Who will we sign if we trade Drew for a pick? Who out there plays defense and can rebound? SAR brings the same exact game as Drew has. Swift has about 2 brain cells more then your average mentally retarded person. Marshall Is an offensive juggernaut, but the whole point of trading Drew is get a defensive minded 4.

I just don't see who we could bring in thats clearly better and worth the money and brings all the qualities we want in our PF.

Starting Varejao just isn't an option. He's lost on most plays relying on his athletic abilities to recover, that results in one amazing play an one horrible play per minute. Andy in short bursts is an amazing thing to watch, he's just not ready for prime time. He needs to gain wieght and learn NBA basketball.

McInnis and a played out of position Newble allowed their men to keep going back to the lane like a fat man at a buffet, that should be corrected with new starters Snow and Hughes. James will be a year older and hopefully play better man defense then what he attempted to play last year. That should make Z and Gooden better defenders or at the very least help hide the deficiencies.

 

[King]

Im on the Reggie Evans bandwagon. I would personally love to see us sign and trade Gooden to Seattle for Evans and maybe a pick. Then pick up Robinson to help us with our perimeter shooting. So our bigs could be Evans and AV at pf and Z and Robinson at C. Pretty well rounded big man rotation imo..

 

[E-Light]

I hate Potapenko, Jerome James please, I never liked Vitaly I hated the Ukraine train crap, please dont sign that clown pleaaase.

You hate vitaly? Why? just because he can drink your body weight is no reason to have such distaste for the man. in the closing minutes of the spurs series mcmillian had vitaly defending duncan instead of jerome. Don't overlook the ukraine train. He's a fierce competitor. He has HEART unlike jerome james, who's sacramento series has him WAY over rated by fans. Vitaly broke his hand last year, and had to work his way back into seattles rotation.

 

[cdt]

Sorry, just don't like em, but anyway Gooden is being shopped big time, word is after Kwame is off the market then you will most likely see teams bidding for Gooden. People showing interest of course the Knicks who isn't Isiah after, and I think the Wolves and the Sonics.

 

[E-Light]

Mind giving your rational on wy you 'hate' him besides just saying you hate him. Quality please.