Zaza the best value in the NBA!

[Johnnybravo4]

I just read on Real GM that the Clipps are giving Chris Kaman 50 million over 5 years. Are you kidding me? Kayman and Zaza Pachilia are a statistical wash. The exception being that Kaman is a better defensive player. But I am sorry unless Kaman becomes Mark Eaton defensively I couldn't justify giving him 10 mil per. I wonder what Zaza could command then on the open market? He has to be the best value in the NBA.

[bootsybug]

My biggest compliment of Billy Knight is that he refuses to overpay players, and recognizes bargains, ala the New England Patriots, Oakland A's, and other organizations. I think this strategy will help us become successful like they are.

[mrhonline]

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Are you kidding me? Kayman and Zaza Pachilia are a statistical wash. The exception being that Kaman is a better defensive player.

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Kaman is a FAR superior center than Zaza (and I think Zaza is a steal at his price).

[Johnnybravo4]

Then what are Shaq and Duncan? Super duper superior? Come on now..check the stats and get back to me.

[capstone21]

He is still not near worth 10 million a year. Although neither is Dally, Nene, Chandler or Curry. I would rather Kamen then any of them though.

[gutz]

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Are you kidding me? Kayman and Zaza Pachilia are a statistical wash. The exception being that Kaman is a better defensive player.

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Kaman is a FAR superior center than Zaza (and I think Zaza is a steal at his price).

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Yeah Kaman is a good player no doubt but he is far from being that much more superior than Zaza. Kaman gets in foul trouble just about every game and still needs some work. I think they are both offensively about the same with Kaman obviously being the better defensive player. Their rebounding numbers are about the same and Zaza is still only 22yrs old with room to improve. Kaman has a little more experience being in the league a couple of years now.

[Johnnybravo4]

Also Zaza avg as many steals per game as Kaman does blocked shots. Kaman is no Bill Russell...or even Josh Smith.

They are pretty much the same size. I don't see where the superiority comes it. I think that Zaza has far more offensive moves than Kaman does.

[terrynoonan]

Goodbye Clipper prosperity. That deal will cripple them for years.

What will The Missing Link do with 10 million anyway?

[Popeye]

so far in preseason, Zaza is averaging 11.7 pts, 4 reb and 0.67 blks in 18.7 minutes.

He is shooting 59% from the field.

looks like he improved even more.

I think he can average 15 pts 7.5 reb and a block in about 30 min per game this season.

He is definetly TOP 5 center in the east.

[bootsybug]

I think a lot of what helps Kaman (who was like a number 6 pick in that lebron loaded draft), is that he plays right next to Elton Brand. That helps Kaman offensively and defensively. Zaza had no defensive help last year (Al as the 4) and no offensive big help (Al doesn't pass much).

I think if Zaza were next to Elton Brand, his numbers would be even better than they were last year. Heck, put me next to Elton Brand and I wouldn't be so bad.

[terrynoonan]

I'm A big Zaza fan. He is a competitor and he uses his head.

[CBAreject]

Yeah, I think being next to professional rebounder Elton Brand helps you get more rebounds. *rolls eyes*

You know, there are only so many balls to grab. Seems like having Al Harrington beside you should give you more rebounds if anything.

[CBAreject]

First, Chris Kaman is much better than Zaza Pachulia. Whoever said that the scoring "is pretty much even" or whatever is obviously just looking at their ppg. Chris Kaman shot over 52% on the season, compared with Zaza's sick 41%. He actually blocked a shot and a half a game. Best of all, he got better as the season went along, putting up 15/10 the last month. Zaza faded as the season wore on.

Second, the Clippers got a good deal when they signed him. His contract compares favorably with those signed by other centers around the league not named Shaq. Dalembert, who had not shown nearly as much signed a slightly larger deal. Foyle, a 2 pt / 2reb man, signed a comparable deal. Dampier signed the same deal. Brian Grant signed a freaking max deal. All of these players signed sick deals and most of them weren't even close to 13/10/1.5, and none of them were as young with as much upside. And this is not to mention that Kaman is the starting center on an up-and-coming playoff team. Most of these other guys were with losing teams.

I, for one, am disappointed that the Clippers signed Kaman for 50 over 5. That means we can't get him, and you better believe we would've paid him that much and more. Yes, we got a good deal in Zaza for 4 mil per, but Kaman would still be a good deal at 10 mil. He's just so much better all-around. I'm not saying Zaza won't improve--he's obviously younger. He just has a long way to go to match Kaman.

[CBAreject]

I was wrong about Zaza's fg%. He shot 45% on the year. There was a point about midseason where he was shooting 41%, and I didn't realize he'd pulled that up.

[bootsybug]

when you have 2 guys guarding elton/boxing out elton, kaman can get more rebounds. playing next to a world-class talent will always help others around them.

[Johnnybravo4]

I don't get it? Zaza has far to go to avg 1 more rebound and 5 more fg% points from the center position?

I think that it is criminal the way that this board and Hawks fans in general discount Zaza. If any other team had a 22 year old starting center that avg 11.9 ppg and 7.8 rebounds, they'd be estatic. But instead we got people who wish we drafted future stiffs like Sene and O'bryant, paid 50 million to stiffs like Joel Pryzbilla (whom we already let go) and Chris "Captain Caveman" Kaman Then you have others who cry about getting a center pretty much every thread.

We have our center of the future already. Maybe Zaza needs to change his image. Maybe he needs to grow a beard and cut his hair in a Mohawk so he could look like a bad ass and finally impress ingrate Hawks fans.

[CBAreject]

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I don't get it? Zaza has far to go to avg 1 more rebound and 5 more fg% points from the center position?

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Um, make that 2 more rebounds and 7 more fg% points. Then add 1 block per game, make our defense above average, and do all this while serving as your team's 5th scoring option. By the way, 7 fg% points is a massive difference. 45% is not good for a post player.

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I think that it is criminal the way that this board and Hawks fans in general discount Zaza.

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Who is discounting him? I think he's a good player, and he's a great value for 4 mil per year, and I think he'll get better, as I already said. There are better players, though.

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We have our center of the future already. Maybe Zaza needs to change his image. Maybe he needs to grow a beard and cut his hair in a Mohawk so he could look like a bad ass and finally impress ingrate Hawks fans.

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Um, maybe Zaza needs to block a shot...

Look, when we get to be as good as the Clippers are right now, we can start talking about how we are "set at center". What's criminal is how you dismiss the difference between Kaman's situation and Zaza's. You guys talk about how playing beside Brand *helps* Kaman's rebounding (which I think is false), but you don't talk about how playing beside other scorers takes opportunities away from Kaman. Zaza was the third option for this team last year. Kaman was the 5th option, and he still managed 13 ppg.

This team was miserable defensively last year. I'm looking for opportunities to make this team EVEN ADEQUATE defensively. Most of us feel that the interior defense stinks, and most of us feel that Zaza is partly to blame. I hope management doesn't feel we're "set" when we are just about the worst defensive team in the league.