Who do we get to help Emeka in the paint?

[ziggy]

Sean May is too unreliable (weight, knees, krispy-kreme donuts etc)
Othella is too old
Primoz is..... Primoz
Jared Dudley and Jemario Davidson are too young
Ryan Hollins isn't ready (unless he made huge strides this offseason)
Walter Herman and Gerald Wallace can do it, but I'd prefer not too since they are really small forwards instead of power forwards.

So, what are our options? I can't go through another year with Primoz at center... I just can't do it.

[Wallace15]

I think our best hope is that May gets healthy and stays healthy. That way we'd have Felton, JRich, Wallace, May, and Okafor.

[timang]

we move primo somewhere and get a big. like you've said, wilcox is a good big man to have here.

i wanted darko to be here, but since he'll be asking for like 10+/- million a yr, i'm not so sure now. :-\

[pree]

Technically, you want a guy that can play in the high post when you have a player like Emeka in the low post. Herrmann looked like he was that player last season and with J-Rich coming in to provide some more perimeter scoring, defenses should be spaced out enough to give Okafor a more space to operate in the paint.

[Mustachio]

i think adding j-rich just helps us in so many areas besides SG.

Raymond doesnt have to worry about puttin the scoring on his back.
adding him fits our players strengths... ray and crash love to run. so our back court looks fine.
But adding a respected name back there also breaks up the front court and gives them some space, because like Pree said... you cant sleep on the back court now.

so as far as helping Mek.. i know ive always been against having small guys like hermann playing PF. but now, its clear we are gonna be a fast paced run and gun... so i think the more atheletic the PF the better. i like the rotation of May, Hermann, Hollins, Dudley, Davidson. between those guys we should be able to get it done.

i think its high time we clean house and get rid of Harrington and Anderson. I know Anderson tries hard and can produce some... but theres no upside there and they are both just takin up roster space and money.

[Defense]

Herrmann will be fine there this season, if you go back and look at the last couple months of the season the guy was dominating there. I will be happy to have him at PF for awhile until we get a true center and can move Meka to his natural position of PF.

Herrmann is also bigger than I thought at 6'9 225, so he shouldn't have any problems matching up with the PF's in the eastern conference.

And like said before he is a good compliment to Meka bc he can play that high post and stretch the defense with his ability to shoot long range. With Herrmann in we can also run the floor with 4 guys which will probably end up being this teams identity with all of these athletes.

Honestly if we stay healthy this is a 4-5 seed team in the east, especially with Herrmann blossuming into a star late in the season last year, hopefully he progresses even more and we lock him up.

So our lineup should look like this:

PG: Felton
SG: Richardson
SF: Wallace
PF: Herrmann
C: Okafor

I like the looks of that, especially with some of the backups we have.

[dvdbumpus]

I've always like Wilcox's game. However, I think that we've gotta give May another chance here, and have him in a rotation like you guys said, with Walter or even Crash from time to time.

I also hope that Hollins or Davidson(assuming they're not in the NBDL) come in better prepared than expected and can contribute 15 minutes a game.

[TheBeagle]

Herrmann will be fine there this season, if you go back and look at the last couple months of the season the guy was dominating there. I will be happy to have him at PF for awhile until we get a true center and can move Meka to his natural position of PF.

Herrmann is also bigger than I thought at 6'9 225, so he shouldn't have any problems matching up with the PF's in the eastern conference.

And like said before he is a good compliment to Meka bc he can play that high post and stretch the defense with his ability to shoot long range. With Herrmann in we can also run the floor with 4 guys which will probably end up being this teams identity with all of these athletes.

Honestly if we stay healthy this is a 4-5 seed team in the east, especially with Herrmann blossuming into a star late in the season last year, hopefully he progresses even more and we lock him up.

So our lineup should look like this:

PG: Felton
SG: Richardson
SF: Wallace
PF: Herrmann
C: Okafor

I like the looks of that, especially with some of the backups we have.
I agree with that lineup as things are now, but I think Dudley or May can make a push for the 4, as both are very good passers; Dudley has range, May has girth; both have a nose for the ball.

[rallydurham]

Wilcox is a career underachiever that doesn't play hard, block shots, or defend.


Other than that he'd be a great addition ???

[cltblkhscoach]

Hermann or May could be effective at the 4, and I think they both will be honestly. My question is who is going to be our backup point guard now?

[Grandmama]

I think i agree with most of the posts above, small ball is going to be the way to go with this team. With Ray J-Rich Wallace Hermann/May and Mek. Then we have Matty C and Dudley off the bench who can fill in and push people down the order if necessary. Remeber the Warriors last year when Bedrenis was out of the line up didn't regularly play anyone over 6'9" and where that only got them an 8 in the West that could be good enough for a 5-6 in the east if all the chip fall correctly. With J-Rich's move it is only fitting that we become the new Warriors. Except no 3's from Mek or Ray.

[Grandmama]

Seriously who are the dominant bigs in the East: Jefferson, O'neal(x2 when not hurt) and Curry/Z-Bo, Bosh(they killed us all the time last year) Thats really it 5 teams, lets run. (i don't count Z we could run him out of a game)

[dnbman]

As the Suns are learning, small ball is a fantasy basketball theory more than a legitimate NBA offense.

While we might want to make the bulk of our game running, we need to be able to play solid half court sets, since that's what the last 2 minutes of any meaningful game comes down to. I'm not saying we need to find the next Karl Malone. But we do need to have some legitimate bigs to put on the court.

We're really going to have to wait and see on May before we know who to go after. He could prove to be the answer this year. If not, we'll definitely need to address by next year.

[Grandmama]

Hey I am not saying small ball is going to win us a championship, but it sure as hell is fun to watch and can very easily take us to the next level, which is the most important thing for this team and this city getting better and getting more support. Small ball would not hurt to get the team more relevant in the city, just like in the good ol days.

[dnbman]

There's no doubt that a smaller, up-tempo line up is more exciting to watch and the best chance to get us to the playoffs next season. However, we want our guys to develop good fundamentals (Spurs! 8) ) and not rely on blowing past the competition every night.

[Grandmama]

Unfortunately, I am not sure how "fundementaly sound" GDub or JRich are ever going to be...

[dvdbumpus]

Maybe not sound, but effective none the less. Having players that are as versatile and tough as they are is highly coveted in the league, and are worshipped by fans young and old :biggrin:

[Dead_Real]

There's no doubt that a smaller, up-tempo line up is more exciting to watch and the best chance to get us to the playoffs next season. However, we want our guys to develop good fundamentals (Spurs! 8) ) and not rely on blowing past the competition every night.

I think we'll be more like a Dallas style of play rather then the Suns, Vincent wants us to be known has defensive minded squad.

[dvdbumpus]

There's no doubt that a smaller, up-tempo line up is more exciting to watch and the best chance to get us to the playoffs next season. However, we want our guys to develop good fundamentals (Spurs! 8) ) and not rely on blowing past the competition every night.

I think we'll be more like a Dallas style of play rather then the Suns, Vincent wants us to be known has defensive minded squad.


Can Richardson provide that for us?

[dnbman]

Yeah... we're not really built like the mavs. They rely on Dirk making circus shots and a quick back court. Granted, we have the quick back court. But we don't have Dirk's juggling hire-wire while on fire act.

I really think we're be closest to a Pistons type team.

[Mustachio]

am i the only one here that thinks, getting a mobile offensive PF would be a better fit on this team, than a big bulky center.
someone who could run with the team(cause we will be running like crazy this year) and someone that can hold their own versus other PFs defensivly.

I think Mek thrives when playing Center, because hes quicker and jumps higher than most centers. so his blocking and help defense thrive. When he is matched up against a PF i dont think he struggles or anything, hes just seems more comfortable guarding a big center.

so if we brought in a guy like Camby. he can run, plays great defense and would fit in this team absolutely perfectly. im not saying we go after camby in a trade... but who do you guys think would fit that mold that we could obtain?

[dvdbumpus]

Samuel Dalembert, Chris Kaman, Jamaal Magloire.



Very few and far between that are available. I don't want Magloire near the team but is better than most centers' around.

I'd want Dalembert if he came at the right price.

[rallydurham]

How can anyone be against Darko for 5 years, $40 million but want Dalembert at 4 years $44 million?

I don't get it. We need a post scorer to pair with Okafor. This would give us two guys in the post that can't generate baskets. It just wouldn't make sense from a basketball or financial standpoint.

[Mustachio]

hate to break it to you rally durham. but Dalembert averages about 3 points a game more than Darko, so your cant score comment is wrong. he also brings in much more rebounds like 9 rebounds average versus 5.5... thats a glaring difference. more blocks, and more steals.

Dalembert is a much more proven player so hes worth that money if your gonna go out and get someone. but Darko is younger, and taller, and cheaper. but at this point it is still very uncertain what he can bring to your team. ALSO, hes had attitude problems everywhere he goes...not sure hed fit in with this team of selfless guys we got.

id be ok with either, im just saying that, 9 million a year for a center you know is gonna produce is nothing compared to paying 7 million for a center who may or may not produce and may cause team problems. but again id be ok with any of em.

[rallydurham]

Well I hate to break it to you but Dalembert is a disappointment and barely puts up better stats than Darko despite having leaps and bounds more experience and a few years older. No one would rather have Dalembert at $12 million instead of Darko at $7-8 million.



In the summer of 2005, the Sixers gave Dalembert a $58 million contract based on his immense potential. In the winter of 2005, Dalembert reminded the Sixers just how far away he is from converting that potential into a decent basketball player. The Haitian center did plenty of things that few other centers can match, but undid them all with the many rough patches in his game.

Dalembert remained a huge force as a rebounder and shot-blocker. His 18.0 rebound rate ranked 10th among centers, highlighted by a 22-rebound game against Phoenix on Jan. 4. And he blocked 2.4 shots per game, even as Steven Hunter was eating into his minutes.

However, he regressed in other areas. Dalembert's turnover ratio ranked 10th in the NBA, and is absurdly high given his skill level. It also dwarfed the numbers from his previous two seasons, with bad hands and illegal screens being the two main causes. Additionally, his offensive game hasn't progressed an inch. Dalembert shot over 50 percent for a second straight season but that was partly because he was less aggressive -- his usage rate declined and ranked 47th among centers. On a positive note, he improved to 70.5 percent from the line.

Scouting report: Dalembert has long arms and great timing for shot blocks, which in theory should make him a defensive force. In practice, he has almost no ability to distinguish between balls that are on their way up and balls that aren't, so he goaltends as much as any player in basketball.

He lacks muscle and doesn't play physically, so it's easy to push him around underneath and get rebounding position. He also loses focus and falls asleep on the weak side, which is why consecutive coaches have thrown up their hands and replaced him halfway through the season.

Finally, he fouls too often -- a little less than one every seven minutes last season -- which makes it tough to keep him on the court.

Offensively, Dalembert runs the floor very well and can spot up from 10 feet for a jumper. He'll usually finish if he makes a clean catch, although that's a big if at times. His lack of size prevents him from doing much in the post, and he's not skilled enough to do serious damage in any event.

2006-07 outlook: Dalembert will split the center position with Hunter once again, but the Sixers are hoping he can deliver a more consistent effort and claim the position outright. He's a relative newcomer to the game and is hardly ancient at 25, so there's some hope that he can turn the corner.

However, the fact remains that he was better three seasons ago than either of the past two, and most players with similar profiles never improved. If so, the Sixers will have five more years to rue that $58 million contract.

Most similar at age: Tony Battie



2005-06 season: The Pistons swore they'd find minutes for Darko now that Larry Brown was gone ... only they didn't. Milicic played only 140 minutes for Detroit, mostly in garbage time, so Detroit dealt him to Orlando at midseason. He made the most of his opportunity in Orlando, shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and posting the league's fourth-best rate of blocked shots. He also cut his enormous foul rate in Detroit to something more reasonable, enabling him to stay on the floor for longer stretches.

Offensively, Milicic had a very poor free-throw rate for a center and shot just 59.5 percent from the line, factors that gave him an unexceptional TS% despite a high shooting percentage. However, he was able to create offense from the high post. Milicic's usage rate and assist ratio were both well above the norm for centers, showing he can be a good high-post partner for Dwight Howard. His rebounding needs work, though, as he ranked 58th among the league's 67 centers. But in sum, it was an encouraging performance -- he's much less of a bust than previously thought, and could end up being a star.

Scouting report: Scouts have always raved about Milicic's skills, starting with the fact that he's a solid 7-0, 250, with a variety of skills. Milicic can float in jumpers from mid-range or take his man on the block and shoot a lefty hook shot. He has to improve from the line (60.2 percent for his career) and get tougher around the basket -- there's no reason a 7-footer with his skills should rebound so poorly.

Milicic is an outstanding shot-blocker with great timing and instincts, with his lefthandedness being an advantage since he's lined up with most players' shooting hand. He looked out of shape when he first came to Orlando, perhaps because he'd hardly played in three seasons, and was usually the last man down the floor. There also are whispers that he doesn't always play hard. However, his defensive numbers after joining the Magic were outstanding, with Orlando giving up 8.0 points per 100 minutes fewer with him on the court and opposing centers mustering only an 11.5 PER against him.

2006-07 outlook: It's easy to forget how young Milicic still is -- he didn't turn 21 until June. Because of that, he still has a great deal of growth ahead of him. If you take what he did in Orlando to be his true level of ability then he has quite a future ahead of him. The projections forecast him taking a giant step forward this coming season, and if that happens, the combo of Milicic and Howard will terrorize the East for the next decade. His development is doubly important because if Orlando has a strong season, it will reduce the value of the first-round pick they owe the Pistons for acquiring Milicic last season.


Most similar at age: Kevin Garnett

I'm really starting to wonder about this board. Take a step back and look at things objectively.

[ALong13]

Herrmann will do good this year and I see him getting some good amount of PT with the Cat's, then I believe Dudley could get some nice time as well, someone posted that he was too young, I think he is, but I still think he could be a nice scorer on the low post too, he's a good rebounder as well....Okafor I agree could use another guy, but he's not in terrible shape....but once Wallace is hopefully resigned, we need to start talking extension with Felton and Okafor....

[dnbman]

The Okafor conversation will be sooner than later.

As for Felton, there are probably few people on this board as high as I am. That being said, he really does need to prove himself this season before we throw around any numbers. I think he's going to be a terrific pg, but he needs to prove he can make great plays in a system. This means more than nailing Crash and JRich for alley-oops. He needs to find Brezec, Jake, and everyone else for easy baskets.

I have absolute faith he can, but with the lack of an offensive system we had this past year, he wasn't able to showcase his play-making skills. Instead, we saw too many forced shots and some poor decisions. This year he should be much improved.

But, if he can't start taking smarter shots and getting more guys involved, we may want to look elsewhere for our long term pg solution.

Again, I love Felton. I think he's the guy. But we need to wait to pay him big bucks.

[dvdbumpus]

How can anyone be against Darko for 5 years, $40 million but want Dalembert at 4 years $44 million?

I don't get it. We need a post scorer to pair with Okafor. This would give us two guys in the post that can't generate baskets. It just wouldn't make sense from a basketball or financial standpoint.


I'm not saying I'd want Dalembert, but he is less of a risk. Also, I stated "if he came at the right price" meaning if Philly sweetened the deal by either picks, cash considerations, or another player that we want.

Believe me, I have no interest in him, it was just brought up about what other big men were probably available.

Personally, I'll pass on all of them.

[TheBeagle]

How can anyone be against Darko for 5 years, $40 million but want Dalembert at 4 years $44 million?

I don't get it. We need a post scorer to pair with Okafor. This would give us two guys in the post that can't generate baskets. It just wouldn't make sense from a basketball or financial standpoint.


I'm not saying I'd want Dalembert, but he is less of a risk. Also, I stated "if he came at the right price" meaning if Philly sweetened the deal by either picks, cash considerations, or another player that we want.

Believe me, I have no interest in him, it was just brought up about what other big men were probably available.

Personally, I'll pass on all of them.
Right on!!! Especially Darko!

[dav7z]

five years 40 mil we might be able to do a sign and trade . I think premo and Morrison might work . That would give us a solid starting five.