If Amare can play Center...

[djcorley]

Why can't Al Horford???

They're both 6'10"

I'm not saying that AL is the athlete Amare is. Amare has more of a "face up" game to me...

Whereas, AL has more of a "back to the basket" game.

What do we really need more? A 6'10" center with a face up game or a 6'10 center with a back to the basket game?

Why are we so quick to pencil Amare into the 5 spot, yet many of us are questioning wether AL can play 5?

[Lascar78]

Because we have seen Amare dominate in the NBA whereas we have only seen Horford look ok in college.

[djcorley]

Very true...

But, from a size, defensive and post game standpoint is Amare more of a 5 the AL?

[SmooveTheFuture]

1st Fatford is listed at 6'9 2nd of all Horford avged 13/9 and in college playing PF not center. Those numbers are not impressive to me to warrant 3rd pick. Shelden Williams numbers in college were much better then Horfords and we all know how he has turned out in the NBA> He is projected to be a PF in the NBA we dont know wat he will do in the NBA. Wat iam 100% certain is that Horford will never avg 26 pts and 9 rebounds w/ 2 assits 2 blocks and a 1 steal in a season shooting 56 % from the floor. Amare is 5x the player that Horford is or will become. When you think of Horford think of failed experiment gone wrong (Shelden). Im not ready to draft another lottery pick to experiment him playing center in the NBA when he has never done it.

[ecc423]

cause we don't have Nash....

[AtLaS]

*Waits for the standing reach argument*

I agree that Horford isn't a full time center, but in the east he can certainly give 15-20 minutes there.

[vdunkndunk]

Amare has averaged 37 ppg against Tim Duncan in a playoff series before. That's all I need to know. The Suns haven't quite broken through in the West yet, but in they've been closer than people realize.

And Amare has actually added more pure post-moves and a midrange jumpshot to his game this year.

So if we get Amare, I actually think we'd be landing a guy who could possibly be the most dominate post-player in our entire conference. And don't be fooled into thinking Amare is nothing more than a product of Nash's brilliance. They said the same thing about Joe - that his shooting percentage would plumit and he wouldn't score 20 ppg with the Hawks - and it hasn't even come close to true.]

Is Amare a center? Yes - if he wants to be. He's done it in the West already and led his team to 60 wins, so there's no reason he couldn't do the same in the East.

[vdunkndunk]

Horford could play some center in the east too. I really think the entire concept of the true center is disappearing in the NBA. If you can get Oden or Shaq, great, but if you can't, an extremely quick athletic strong 6'10 guy who can rebound block shots and postup will do just fine - whether it's Amare or Horford.

[KB21]

Basically, those that question Al Horford's ability to play center in the NBA are narrow minded individuals that still have the antiquated view that an NBA center is supposed to be 7'0", 270 lbs. At some point, they will start talking about how Amare isn't a center as well, even though Amare is one of the top 3 centers in basketball along with Dwight Howard...another undersized center.

[Sothron]

I agree. Horford is practically the same as Amare and if Amare can make first team All NBA at center then I think Horford has a chance. Call me crazy that way.

[KB21]

Wrong.

Horford measured in at a shade under 6'10", and he DID play center at Florida. Joakim Noah was the power forward.

[Traceman]

that we will use Amare. If we draft Horford, he will play plenty of Center for us alongside Marvin and Smoove. He will also play plenty of PF alongside Shelden and Smoove (or Marvin). Neither guy is a classic "true" Center but both are big enough, strong enough, smart enough and athletic enough to play a lot of minutes there.

[volman]

As I remember, though... It took THREE MEN to "take down" the goliath Oden in the National Championship.

Horford did not handle Oden all by himself.

[exodus]

Very simple

On offense Amare is going to get his points whether he plays the 4 or the 5. Defensively he struggles to guard centers and will be below average guarding centers here.

The key is whether his offense is so great that it can overcome his defensive weakness at C. it is certainly possible.

However i don't see Horford as being in the same league offensively as Amare so there is no way that Horford would be able to overcome what he gives up defensively playing center.

[Teeareess]

Quote:

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Because we have seen Amare dominate in the NBA whereas we have only seen Horford look ok in college.

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Exactly. A lot of people forget there's a lot more to the game than weights and measurments.

[AtlantaCham]

Either one of them could play center for Phoenix - even Diaw played center for Phoenix.

Does that mean either could play center for Mike Woodson?

I say do the Pau Gasol/Jose Calderon trades.