[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

I honestly wonder why we worry about center. With more threes, there are more long rebounds so guards and wings are more important for rebounding. Only a couple of true inside bruisers on offense (Davis, Ayton). Bigger issue is that centers are hitting threes (KAT and Davis) and that is near unguardable. Big bruisers on the Mavs aren't going to help with that. The era of the Shaq is basically over.

Adams - won't be in the playoffs. Not a scorer. Just a bruiser/hustling defender/rebounder. We'll face him only 2 times in the regular season (we face them in preseason twice)

Davis - No one can match up with him, but KP should get some time. Kleber and Powell won't be great, but no one really is. Will go to playoffs probably, but we probably won't this year. Has the strength to abuse smaller players and the range/athleticism to abuse bigger ones. No one is good against him. Very few players are even good against him. Even fewer are available.

Ayton - trash. Won't go to playoffs. Only 4 regular-season games. Has no outside shot. Doesn't punish with strength inside. Not worried about him at all. Suns drafted terribly with him (thank goodness).

Nurkic - No one can match up with him when healthy, but we'll have to see if he comes back healthy. Kleber and Powell won't be great, but no one really is. Will go to playoffs probably, but we probably won't this year. Nurkic's biggest strength is his passing which will require team defense, not one stellar defender.

Whiteside - Not a scorer and not even a starter. When Nurkic comes back, he won't play more than 10-15 minutes. I'm not sure why we worry about countering a guy that limited offensively who will play so few minutes. Just a bruiser. Why are we afraid of an extremely limited offensive player who only rebounds and blocks shots?

Gobert - No one can match up with him. Kleber and Powell won't be great, but no one really is. Will go to playoffs probably, but we probably won't this year.

KAT - No one can match up with him. Kleber and Powell won't be great, but no one really is. Won't be in the playoffs. Only four regular season games.

I'd add Jokic to the list. Dude can pass with the best of them and almost a triple-double threat. Still, he doesn't punish with strength as much as he could. Mostly he plays smart ball like Doncic and Nurkic. He'll wreck our team defense, but only four times in the regular season.

Also, for every one of those big bigs, there are plenty of smaller bigs who need the opposite. Getting a Steven Adams won't help with the Draymond Greens of the league. Hell, Adams got wrecked by Enes Kanter. I'm weary of tooling up to match a type of player we won't see terribly frequently when we aren't likely even a playoff team this year (and haven't even seen KP play)

Kp vs Davis
https://youtu.be/_iejlGlWISs

Kp vs Kat
https://youtu.be/rHDYSXxNRLU

Kp vs Embid
https://youtu.be/rHDYSXxNRLU

Kp vs Jokic.
https://youtu.be/cFi4yp4Nk3w
https://youtu.be/k9QgNYWrBBc

Kp vs Gobert
https://youtu.be/PSfQMuVaagk


Other bigs have to guard KP too so good luck with that. Kp is just as unguardable if not more so as any of the names mentioned here.