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madape · 04-23-2003, 11:37 AM

Raef LaFrentz was considered at the time one of the rising stars of the NBA. In many people's eyes he was the best young big man in the league. Even now after a pretty disappointing year, I'd rather have him than Olowakandi, Curry, or any of the other highly touted centers picked with the number one or number two picks in the draft (of which the Mavericks wouldn't have been able to aquire anyway). Raef is certainly better than the Chris Mihms, Curtus Borschartds, Dasagna Diops, and Joe Prizbillas of the world. In fact, the only young guy that has come out in the past couple of years that I would for sure pick over Raef is Yao... of course there is no way in hell the Mavs ever could get him. But if you remember, it was the Mavs who discovered Yao in the first place. So it seems to me that Nelson has done everything he can do to pick up a dominant big man. He traded for arguably the best young center in the league, he's sent scouts to China, Nigeria, Yugoslavia, Australia, ghetto US high schools... what else do you want him to do? Tank a couple of seasons so he can get the slim chance to hit lottery gold and nab the first pick in the NBA draft? Even if that happened he'd have about a one in four chance that the draft would produce a dominant center. It doesn't take an idiot to see that dominant centers win championships, but it might just take a genius to be successful without one... and Nelson has. The fact is that dominant centers really can't be aquired, at least not without a whole lot of bad basketball and a whole lot of luck.

And I fart on your comment that Raef and Bradley are not "servicable centers". Bradley had better numbers than every backup center in the NBA, far better than even your boyfriend Keon Clark. On a per-minute basis his numbers were better than 75% of starting centers in the league. NBA.com ranks him as the 15th most efficient player in the game, at ANY position. Raef as I've mentioned before is a good young player who had a disappointing year. But both are playing well now, and look almost dominant in the playoffs against a team intending to physically intimidate them. Far beyond unservicable, I would think. But keep thinking what your thinking. Everyone needs an excuse, even fans of the team with the most wins in the NBA. If blaming Nelson for not being able to aquire a dominant center makes you feel good, have at it.

04-23-2003, 11:37 AM	#12
madape Diamond Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 5,913	Raef LaFrentz was considered at the time one of the rising stars of the NBA. In many people's eyes he was the best young big man in the league. Even now after a pretty disappointing year, I'd rather have him than Olowakandi, Curry, or any of the other highly touted centers picked with the number one or number two picks in the draft (of which the Mavericks wouldn't have been able to aquire anyway). Raef is certainly better than the Chris Mihms, Curtus Borschartds, Dasagna Diops, and Joe Prizbillas of the world. In fact, the only young guy that has come out in the past couple of years that I would for sure pick over Raef is Yao... of course there is no way in hell the Mavs ever could get him. But if you remember, it was the Mavs who discovered Yao in the first place. So it seems to me that Nelson has done everything he can do to pick up a dominant big man. He traded for arguably the best young center in the league, he's sent scouts to China, Nigeria, Yugoslavia, Australia, ghetto US high schools... what else do you want him to do? Tank a couple of seasons so he can get the slim chance to hit lottery gold and nab the first pick in the NBA draft? Even if that happened he'd have about a one in four chance that the draft would produce a dominant center. It doesn't take an idiot to see that dominant centers win championships, but it might just take a genius to be successful without one... and Nelson has. The fact is that dominant centers really can't be aquired, at least not without a whole lot of bad basketball and a whole lot of luck. And I fart on your comment that Raef and Bradley are not "servicable centers". Bradley had better numbers than every backup center in the NBA, far better than even your boyfriend Keon Clark. On a per-minute basis his numbers were better than 75% of starting centers in the league. NBA.com ranks him as the 15th most efficient player in the game, at ANY position. Raef as I've mentioned before is a good young player who had a disappointing year. But both are playing well now, and look almost dominant in the playoffs against a team intending to physically intimidate them. Far beyond unservicable, I would think. But keep thinking what your thinking. Everyone needs an excuse, even fans of the team with the most wins in the NBA. If blaming Nelson for not being able to aquire a dominant center makes you feel good, have at it.