Larry Johnson and Charles Barkley started out their careers with Alonzo Mourning and Moses Malone. It would make sense to get a defensive, rebounding big man for Anthony Bennett. I think the cost of 15 million for Pekovic and that Asik costs 8 million and will require a trade with players going out sort of cancel each other out. Pek will be expensive, but Asik will require sacrafices as well.
Asik/Bennett seem to be a seemless fit. I don't see how Asik fits with Varejao, and Thompson. I don't consider him a better fit with the team than Pekovic. Thompson and Varejao will also cause problems for Pekovic floor spacing with his low post play.
As a fan I think Pekovic provides more excitement. He's clumsy, and awkward, yet he's fairly skilled around the basket, and can just impose his size on opponents. He's that tractor traylor type big man except 7' tall. Pek provides a physicality the team just wouldn't have with asik, and has to be defended. With Waiters and Irving penetrating it makes sense to have offensive big men that have to be guarded. You don't want to allow double teaming with undersized guards.
Pek provides problems as a pick and roll liability defensively with irving also being a seive that with asik would not exist. also, with varejao on the team we already have a strong offensive rebounder. So, i don't consider his prowess to pound the offensive boards to be impactful for us as we're already a good offensive rebounding team, whereas asik provides defensive rebounding in a area of need.
Pek is much better for the offense, and asik much better for the defense. The team is hurting defensively, and i'm not sure Asik can do much about it. whereas the team is likely to take another step immediately offensive and Pekovic can raise that boat even further.
In sum the defense looks like a sinking ship, and the offense looks like where we will see our boats rise.
I'd side with the offensive guy, and let mike brown worry about the defense.
It just looks like the offense is about complete, and pek could open up single coverage at all positions. Earl Clark may be left alone, but he showed last year he had a mid range game, and can knock down the jumper. He went from an efg% of 27% on his jumpers in orlando to 42% in l.a.
I think it's a tougher call than you'd think.
Neither center is a perfect fit. But, Tim Duncan is not available. Next years free agent crops at center suck. Bogut, and Gortat are the top of the line. So, it doesn't get any better next year. The time to get a center is now. There's no reason to wait.
