Viewing Byron Mullens as a 4-man.

[Veteran_Picksetter]

Look, I KNOW, I KNOW.....We need him to be a Center on this roster. But do y'all think he would be better as a 4-man in his early to mid 20's, given the right situation?

Think about it:

1. He moves and runs the floor fairly well.
2. He shoots well from the outside.
3. He gets manhandled by a lot of centers, especially on the boards.
4. Maybe he would get more boards going head to head with PF's in the 225 to 250 lb. range?
5. As he fills out, slide him to Center full-time....wherever he is playing 5 years from now.

What do y'all think?

[dnbman]

I'd say no. One thing I like about him is that he can pull the opponent's C out of the paint when we're on offense or get a bunch of open looks. Plus, I want him to learn to play C, his inevitable position, really well rather than make him a 'tweener.

I really just want him to turn into Okur.

[GoBobs]

I think his biggest problem is he can't defend any position at the nba level well. That isn't going to change by moving him around. He isn't physical down low and I don't know if he is going to develop that. Dirk kind of did at some point but most players don't. He also doesn't really move his feet well, and that makes for a bad combination. If he could be physical he could play the four or five. If he could move his feet he could play the four or even the three. Problem is he can't do either. It is up to him to improve and until that point he is a sixth man at best who is starting because he is on a bad team.

[SWedd523]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "position" doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is who guards whom. If Bismack and Mullens are playing the heat, Bismack will guard the "PF" Bosh and Mullens will guard the other big. If Bismack and Mullens are playing the Magic, Bismack will guard the "C" Dwight and Mullens will guard the other big.

[MadBOBCATfanUK]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "position" doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is who guards whom. If Bismack and Mullens are playing the heat, Bismack will guard the "PF" Bosh and Mullens will guard the other big. If Bismack and Mullens are playing the Magic, Bismack will guard the "C" Dwight and Mullens will guard the other big.

thats why every team with 2 or more pretty good bigs seems to murder us

[Veteran_Picksetter]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "position" doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is who guards whom. If Bismack and Mullens are playing the heat, Bismack will guard the "PF" Bosh and Mullens will guard the other big. If Bismack and Mullens are playing the Magic, Bismack will guard the "C" Dwight and Mullens will guard the other big.

"Position" is simply another way of saying who he GENERALLY guards and gets guarded by. Yeah, there would be exceptions, but if Mullens played alongside a 7-foot, 290 lb. interior beast, he'd generally be guarding the "less strong" or "less interior-oriented" big, AKA the 4-man. There is a reason that position terminology is in basketball. If it is good enough for somebody like Hubie Brown, it is good enough for me.

[Veteran_Picksetter]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "position" doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is who guards whom. If Bismack and Mullens are playing the heat, Bismack will guard the "PF" Bosh and Mullens will guard the other big. If Bismack and Mullens are playing the Magic, Bismack will guard the "C" Dwight and Mullens will guard the other big.

OR I could rename the thread, "Viewing Byron Mullens as a guy to play next to an even larger, stronger, more interior-oriented 7-footer." But "4-man" just works better for me.

And yes, there are instances where Biyombo would guard the "5" while Mullens guards the "4" versus the other way around. But my way of putting that is that Biyombo is a 4 who can also handle the 5 against many players, at least part time. I don't know if I want Biyombo guarding 260-280 lb guys fulltime yet. He's strong, but that could do some wear and tear on him.

[SWedd523]

OR I could rename the thread, "Viewing Byron Mullens as a guy to play next to an even larger, stronger, more interior-oriented 7-footer." But "4-man" just works better for me.

And yes, there are instances where Biyombo would guard the "5" while Mullens guards the "4" versus the other way around. But my way of putting that is that Biyombo is a 4 who can also handle the 5 against many players, at least part time. I don't know if I want Biyombo guarding 260-280 lb guys fulltime yet. He's strong, but that could do some wear and tear on him.

Why is there a need for arbitrary classifications? Bismack is smaller than Mullens yet has the ability to guard the bigger guys out there. Chuck Hayes is 6'6 yet guards the biggest opposing player.

Is Bismack a PF just because he's 6'9?
Is Gerald Wallace a SF or a PF? He's a wing but rebounds like a big man.
Would you call Derrick Rose a PG or a SG?He handles the ball, but he does most of the shooting.
What would you call LeBron? He handles and passes like PG, but plays on the wing.


The point is that the game has evolved, especially since the time Hubie grew up. There are far less positional players and far more "basketball players" The only reason people call Mullens a Center is because he's 7 feet tall. He doesn't play the game in the pivot like traditional Centers, but it's not like traditional Centers exist anymore.

I guess what I'M trying to say is that "searching for a defensive Center" is unnecessary because he needs a defensive partner regardless of position and "converting Mullens to a PF" is unnecessary because he already plays like a traditional PF anyway. It's not like his game is going to change just because you play him next to Dwight Howard.

[dnbman]

He isn't physical down low and I don't know if he is going to develop that. Dirk kind of did at some point but most players don't. He also doesn't really move his feet well, and that makes for a bad combination. If he could be physical he could play the four or five. If he could move his feet he could play the four or even the three. Problem is he can't do either. It is up to him to improve and until that point he is a sixth man at best who is starting because he is on a bad team.

He seems to scrap though, which makes me think he could develop a more physical presence with workouts and training. Guy's still young.

[polarcat]

The way the game is now versus 10-15 years ago, I think Mullens can be a starter at C for us and do well. Thing is he needs Biyombo out there with him to compliment his style of play. Mullens can't play with Diaw, Thomas, etc but Biyombo's strengths balance out Mullens weaknesses and Mullens strengths do the same with Biyombo's weaknesses. If you think less of it as a dedicated PF and C and more of two bigs that play down low, it is easier to accept. I'm sure in the end we will draft this year's best PF, continue grooming Biyombo to be our center and have Mullens come off the bench as a 6th man. Personally, I believe Biyombo can add another inch or two, 15 lbs of muscle and some offensive moves in the next 2-3 years and be a solid 6'10" -6'11" 14/12/2 center in this league that is feared in the paint.