We need a 3-person rotation at the 4/5

[Guest Walter]

With JS about to get paid (likely by us) and Horford also more a Pf than C but capable of playing center in a pinch, we need to get that third person as part of the rotation. We need that person to be more of a center than Horford, bigger and taller than Horford, at a reasonable price, since both offensively and defensively good centers are not likely, one or the other at least, and one capable of starting if match-ups dictate.

Here are the players I see remaining available after the Gasol trade and their per48 TENDEX (Note: the bottom of the list becomes increasingly less likely):

Diop...21.00

J. O'Neal...23.81 (injured)

Curry...19.36

Haywood...23.89

Dalembert...23.69

Biedrins...29.88

Kaman...28.35

Camby...33.01

For comparison purposes...

ZaZa...14.26 this year...22.28 last year. It appears that ZaZa is not cut out for this role.

Slim pickin's, high price tags, or unavailable.

Anyone for trading Childress of Childress/SW for a top 10 pick/contract (Thabeet)? I think his game is better suited to the NBA.

A D-leaguer? link

W

[DJ_Money]

You really think Chill/SW gets a lotto pick?

(Of course, it must be noted that the FA period isn't until after the draft...so unless you're suggesting we dump Chill before the deadline...this won't work.)

We do need at least one serviceable BU big. I'd prefer two. One big body, and then another athletic type.

Seattle really has two guys that would be perfect for those roles in Kurt Thomas and Chris Wilcox. I don't know if we can work a trade, though. Thomas is a FA next summer, but he's up there in age and would probably easily catch on with a contender.

[txsting]

Thabeet would be AWESOME. He's Mutombo like, with softer touch. Not a superstar NBA player, but will block and alter shots every night for 10-15 years. He just destroyed GT on Wednesday.

[coachx]

Agee 100%

Heywood or Diop would be perfect.

Heywood is having a career year.....finally agveraging over 10 ppg but his size defense is what makes him valuable. The extra PPG is more a product of no Arenasthen anything

With the Lakers and Suns adding size to their lineups it makes Diops all the more valuable to them.

I still hold out hope we can bring in a guy like them here.

Thabeet should be similar to Ratliff or Dalembert but maybe with even less offensive game then they have or had. He will be a shot blocking force without doubt.

Hibbert will have a Big Z like impact defensively....when he is in position just pass the ball back out. If he is out of position attack the rim b/c he too slow to catch up to you.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

You really think Chill/SW gets a lotto pick?

---

A late one perhaps.

Quote:

---

(Of course, it must be noted that the FA period isn't until after the draft...so unless you're suggesting we dump Chill before the deadline...this won't work.)

---

I am.

Quote:

---

We do need at least one serviceable BU big. I'd prefer two. One big body, and then another athletic type.

Seattle really has two guys that would be perfect for those roles in Kurt Thomas and Chris Wilcox.

---

And neither are a center. Whatever we may want, the team needs a center and has for five years. Drafting Horford means we don't need a BIG, dominant, 2-way center to pair with JS as I have previously insisted, but it doesn't AT ALL change our positional need and we at least need a dominant 1-way player at the center position.

W

W

[mattlanta]

Diop would be a great addition to this team IMO. Thabeet would be too, I'd rather us draft Thabeet and wait for him to develop into a better player than Diop, but I fear that we will have to give up too much for that first round pick that will land us Thabeet.

[coachx]

Dan Gradzurch may be a cheaper alternative from the Bucks. He has the size and length we weed and would be much cheaper then Diop or Heywood.

He is nothing special but he is a defensive upgrade over ZaZa.....Heck the Bucks resigned Gradzurich and let ZaZa walk a few years back...so they knew he was better then ZaZa years ago based on that decision.

When he used to get some playing time he put up respectable bpg and rpg while shooting above 50%.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/dan_gadzuric/career_stats.html

[coachx]

Quote:

---

Thabeet would be too, I'd rather us draft Thabeet and wait for him to develop into a better player than Diop, .

---

I think we need a player ready now.

No more projects at this point of the rebuild.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

Diop would be a great addition to this team IMO. Thabeet would be too, I'd rather us draft Thabeet and wait for him to develop into a better player than Diop, but I fear that we will have to give up too much for that first round pick that will land us Thabeet.

---

What is too much, then?

This team isn't going ANYWHERE anything remotely like it is designed, Woodson or no Woodson. I hate to say that as much as anyone but it's true. We are at the PEAK of our talent as it stands. We can't resign all of JC, MW, and JS. NO WAY we can financially manage that when as a team we suck. We don't have a 1st rd pick and even when we have one after next year it will reside in the mediocrity d@mning 15 or so range. We can't afford the majority of our young talent. We can't fill necessary positional and skill set needs without trading at least some of them.

My point has been for some time and will continue to be this. We may have to get past our egos (something BK will never be able to do - another reason to dump BK) and overpay to have any chance at building a TEAM out of this moderately talented but fatally flawed roster! I pushed for Bynum (Harrington/Childress or MW) nearly 2 years ago when Phil and Kobe couldn't stand drafting a player rather than trading the pick, Gasol (as did JJ) last year and this year. SOMETHING bold and creative needs to be done!

I don't know what the price of building a TEAM will be now that BK got us into this all-forward, bust or significantly lesser player mess from hell, but it won't be cheap or easy and to many it may not be palatable. Without it, however, we are faced with certain lesser mediocrity no coach can likely save us from.

[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

---

Dan Gradzurch may be a cheaper alternative from the Bucks. He has the size and length we weed and would be much cheaper then Diop or Heywood.

He is nothing special but he is a defensive upgrade over ZaZa.....Heck the Bucks resigned Gradzurich and let ZaZa walk a few years back...so they knew he was better then ZaZa years ago based on that decision.

When he used to get some playing time he put up respectable bpg and rpg while shooting above 50%.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/dan_gadzuric/career_stats.html

---

We don't need a defensive center, our defense is fine. We need an efficient low post scorer.

[DJ_Money]

None of the dregs of the league are going to give up a non-lotto protected 1st. I wouldn't want to trade him to a team chasing us for 7th/8th in the East...which cuts our options down to a handful of Western Conference teams. Denver, Golden State, Houston, Portland...

I don't disagree with your points on the Center position.

[coachx]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Dan Gradzurch may be a cheaper alternative from the Bucks. He has the size and length we weed and would be much cheaper then Diop or Heywood.

He is nothing special but he is a defensive upgrade over ZaZa.....Heck the Bucks resigned Gradzurich and let ZaZa walk a few years back...so they knew he was better then ZaZa years ago based on that decision.

When he used to get some playing time he put up respectable bpg and rpg while shooting above 50%.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/dan_gadzuric/career_stats.html

---

We don't need a defensive center, our defense is fine. We need an efficient low post scorer.

---

Hey, I'd take Curry too....I was bringing that up back in November.

Gradzurch is just the dirt cheap hole plugger....(AJ plug if you will.)

We got AJ to plug the PG spot last year for just a 2nd round pick from Dallas....a guy like Gadzurich may plug the center spot this year. Sure I would prefer Curry's scoring b/c I think Smith and Horford mask Curry's defensive weaknesses better then the guys the Knicks play with Curry (Lee and Randolf).

[exodus]

Eddy Curry sure would fit in great with a running team.....NOT.

He won't hit the defensive boards and he won't get out and run. We need stops and rebounds in order to get out and run and Curry help in either area.

Is there an overpriced, no D chucker with attitude issues that you DON'T want?

[Johnnybravo4]

He is a career 55% from the field. Plus we are a running team only part of the time. He is a better fit for a running team than Shaq is...and I trust Phoenix's opinion more than BK's

[exodus]

Quote:

---

He is a career 55% from the field. Plus we are a running team only part of the time. He is a better fit for a running team than Shaq is...and I trust Phoenix's opinion more than BK's

Are you really trying to compare Curry to Shaq? I sure hope not.

[cowa]

Gadzuric is not a cheap addition! He makes an average of $6.75M per year over the next 3 years, not including this years salary of $5.75M. He has one of the WORST contracts in all of basketball, and I'm sure Milwaukee would jump at the chance to unload him!

Please don't let BK know this, or he might just go after him!!!

[coachx]

Quote:

---

Gadzuric is not a cheap addition! He makes an average of $6.75M per year over the next 3 years, not including this years salary of $5.75M. He has one of the WORST contracts in all of basketball, and I'm sure Milwaukee would jump at the chance to unload him!

Please don't let BK know this, or he might just go after him!!!

---

I had no idea he had 3 additional years left. I checked Realgm and your dead on.

However, his annual salary is only $1 million more the ZaZa which seems about right.