I agree with the Bennett assessment. However, you bring up Noel's FT% but then say draft Goodwin. Goodwin is not good at anything besides being athletic. MKG shot the same 3p% (26%) as him last year and Goodwin has a <1 Ast/TO ratio and 64% from the line.
I hear what you are saying but @ 14 in the draft Goodwin would be worth taking a gamble on just off potential to see if he can be a diamond in the rough. Noel is not worth spending the #1 overall pick on given his similarities to Biz. I definitely see it as 2 different situations.
I'm a huge Biz fan. But as it stands right now, I Noel is better than Biz in most things. He's a more fluid and natural BBall player, better BBall IQ, better passer, better hands, has great handles for a big, and really knows how to finish down low. I think Noel would be great in the C and Biz would benefit coming off the bench as a shot blocker. Put him in that role and he will be tremendous. But having him as THE center is not going to work for at least another 3 years. And that is being hopeful that he actually develops to become that (which I am confident of, but there is no 100%).
Plowright (03-05-2013)
I don't see Biz as our future at center anyway. I'm all for going after Pekovic this summer and having Biz as our long term back up. But i don't see how you think Noel is a better fit for our team. I don't know if you've actually been watching him play in real time or simply watching youtube highlights,but Noel is a shot blocker and dunker at this point. Nothing more really. He does have better hands than Biz and is also a serviceable passer,but he's not what this team needs. We need a true low post scorer who can keep a defense honest and give our young wing players space to operate. As of right now, Noel literally throws the ball at the rim when he is more than 5 feet away. He has no touch or form whatsoever.
Pursuing a dominant 4 or a legit long term replacement @ the 2 for Hendo and then going after a vet in free agency would be much more wise for this franchise, given what's out there this year, than making another project for our coaching staff @ the 5 and it costing us the 1st pick in the draft to do so.
I too would be all for the Bennett/Pekovic combo moving forward. I've heard mixed reports out of Minny in regards to Pekovic though. I initially heard that they wouldn't match and then I've heard that they will match. A future frontcourt of Bennett and Pekovic would be beastly, along with MKG at the 3. Smooth, athletic, forceful from the perimeter, slashing to the lane and inside. Combined with Walker at the point and then all we would have to fill would be at the 2. Let's say we get the PDX pick this year, maybe Cho can package that with something to move up to 7 or 8 and then select Oladipo. Lots of ifs and buts here that hinge on Pekovic though. Fun to imagine.....
Kemba
Oladipo
MKG
Bennett
Pekovic
westbrook08 (03-04-2013)
I don't understand the infatuation with Pekovic. He's not that great and he is already 27. By the time our other guys develop, he'll be 30 with his limited skillset. He is the epitome of a treadmill pickup.
You are vastly undervaluing Pekovic. He's one of the best post scorers in the entire NBA,he can score with either hand seamlessly,and is a great rebounder. If it wasn't for Love splitting stats with him he would totally be an all-star. If he was in a major market he'd also be getting a ton of press. Don't be fooled just because you don't read about him every day. He's very legit!
And since when is 30 old? He's only 27 right now, and since he's not an above the rim player who depends of athleticism anyway, i can easily see him being effective well past his mid 30's. How long are expecting this rebuild to be? We'd be getting a player several years before his prime who could anchor the middle for us for the next decade. I don't see the downside to that.
jmanvelocity (03-05-2013)
When Minny was talking about matching earlier this year they were thinking he might get 10 to 12 million at the most from what i read. If a team like Charlotte,Houston,or Portland, that really needs a center throws a big money deal at him there's really no way that Minny can match without going WAY into the luxury tax. The only way would be if AK47 opted out. And there's no chance in hell that's happening!Originally Posted by polarcat
And i would prefer to get Bennett and Muhammed or Mclemore,but if we couldn't swing that and we could do Bennett and Oladipo i'd still be pretty happy. He's not gotten a ton of media attention,but a lot of scouts really seem to like his game. He could definitely be a wild card in this draft. Plus i actually kind of like the lineup you proposed. That seems like a very low ego,blue collar,spurs type roster that would get along,work hard,and put the team first.
Last edited by westbrook08; 03-04-2013 at 05:00 PM.
I just watched a bunch of Bazz highlights (I've caught about 5 of his games this year and he always disappoints me) and holy crap....his hands are almost as bad as Biz. I've always thought he looked stupid how he runs around and keeps his hands out like he does but now I see why. He can't catch for his life.
I think Muhammed is out of shape right now. He put on weight during the NCAA investigation and never really got it all off, which i don't like either. He one those rare players where you really are rolling the dice on potential(which i totally hate) but sometimes the upside is too much to ignore if you're talking about a possible elite scorer.
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