Do we really need a center center?

[clicklandshopping]

Heat Unlikely To Bolster Center Position Before Next Season

Aug 02, 2012 9:26 PM EDT

Pat Riley hasn't ruled out signing a center, but he sees no need to aggressively fill the position before the start of next season.

"We definitely are going to continue to look for somebody in that spot, but unless there's an injury, we really don't need a center," Riley said. "We signed Chris (Bosh), basically, in my mind, fully in my mind, not in the back of my mind, he was probably going to be our center in critical situations.”

Joel Anthony and Dexter Pittman are the only true center options currently signed for next season.

"When you're playing at the highest, you're going to be playing with Chris Bosh and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, whoever it is. That's going to be your team," Riley said of lineups that lack true centers. "And we have proven that with LeBron playing at the four spot, so to speak, that we're so much better as a basketball team than we are with a conventional center and power forward. Now, we will continue to try to find players that can fit in with this team, but they don't have to be center centers."

ViaIra Winderma

Read more:http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/222772/Heat_Unlikely_To_Bolster_Center_Position_Before_Next_Season#ixzz22S1yvNNg Even the infamous BK predicted this!!

[JtotheO21]

Who cares!!! I hope the Heat go 0-82 this year. I've never completely despised a team and a city so much.

[thecampster]

Yes we do. We are not the Heat. When you have Lebron, Jordan, etc then yes you can get away with not having a legit center. Even the Bulls had Cartwright then Perdue, legit 7 footers. The Heat win was both an anomaly and a credit to the ridiculous effort by James/Wade in the playoffs.

[JtotheO21]

And a credit to the refs. Easily the most lopsided officiated series I've ever seen. I stopped watching the Finals after game 3 and I don't think I've missed a Finals since 89. Can't even bring myself to even watch the highlights from game 5.

[clicklandshopping]

Yes we do. We are not the Heat. When you have Lebron, Jordan, etc then yes you can get away with not having a legit center. Even the Bulls had Cartwright then Perdue, legit 7 footers. The Heat win was both an anomaly and a credit to the ridiculous effort by James/Wade in the playoffs.

I never said we were the Heat, and I think we could use a center also. But we don't need a traditional center because the league is more about speed and flexibility. Also I like ZaZA until we find what we are looking for. I think the area we need to address is the starting shooting guard. I hope Morrow or Jenkins can come in a impress! If they don't, that is the real hole we have.

[thecampster]

I never said we were the Heat, and I think we could use a center also. But we don't need a traditional center because the league is more about speed and flexibility. Also I like ZaZA until we find what we are looking for. I think the area we need to address is the starting shooting guard. I hope Morrow or Jenkins can come in a impress! If they don't, that is the real hole we have.

No the marketing of the NBA is about speed and flexibility....fun to watch players. Fun to watch isn't what wins championships. To quote an old board saying from a sig. Stolen from Pat Summitt.

"Offense sells tickets, defense wins games, rebounding wins championships."

-Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers

How do you rebound? You get a legit center who controls the glass, a power forward who will box out and a small forward who will jump more than once. Edited August 3, 2012 by thecampster

[TheNorthCydeRises]

No the marketing of the NBA is about speed and flexibility....fun to watch players. Fun to watch isn't what wins championships. To quote an old board saying from a sig. Stolen from Pat Summitt.

"Offense sells tickets, defense wins games, rebounding wins championships."

-Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers

How do you rebound? You get a legit center who controls the glass, a power forward who will box out and a small forward who will jump more than once.

LOL @ "stolen from Pat Summitt"

I'm University of Tennessee Alumni . . . and that's been my sig for about 4 years now. Pat was absolutely right when she said that.

What Pat teaches is that no matter how bad you're playing offensively, you can not only still be in the game, but even WIN the game . . if you play DEFENSE and REBOUND the basketball. Because defense and rebounding can lead to quick offense going the other way, or give you 2nd chance opportunities to score the basketball. It can also create quick runs that can blow a game open, or get you back into a game.

Edited August 3, 2012 by northcyde

[NineOhTheRino]

Heat Unlikely To Bolster Center Position Before Next Season

When you have Lebron you can that. This team is not so lucky.

[clicklandshopping]

So I'm guessing the frontcourt of ZaZa, Al,Josh,Petro,Ivan, Stephenson,Morrow and Kolver just isn't good enough. I think its a pretty good defensive and rebounding team to start with if coached correctly. Heck, I even think the 6'10 260lb Jordan Williams is known for his rebounding and defense. Now if there is some way we can acquire some big time center this year great, but I believe we are really underestimating who we have.

[DrReality]

It depends on the match upsI'm curious to see if Petro is servicable?

[Jbrinson]

Really we just needs someone to rebound. The only time not having a true center would hurt us is when we play the Lakers. Other teams have true centers but we can outrun those guys. If Zaza and Horford can defend and rebound we're fine.

[MaceCase]

Truth to it, OKC had Durant, Westbrook and Harden to go along with a traditional big lineup of Ibaka and Perkins........got killed by Shane Battier and Bosh. Year earlier Ibaka and Perkins got killed by Dirk. Most frontcourts aren't traditional so building in one direction just might get you killed in another. As is, Al, Zaza and Petro can hold down the C rotation against big men then Josh proved himself masterful and Ivan was more than serviceable playing at Center too last season.

[Watchman]

I want Dikembe Mutombo reincarnated. He rebounded, he blocked shots, he scored enough that the opponents couldn't ignore him. People didn't drive down the middle uncontested. If we had that type of center, I could even see playing Josh at SF.

[Randy]

Is Kendrick Perkins as center-center? (Thought he was maybe 6'9".) If not, then neither team in last finals had a center-center.BTW - how many real center-centers are there nowadays in the NBA? Something must be wrong in Amerian's diet these days. We had more good bigs in the 60's, 70's and 80's it seems.

[NineOhTheRino]

Is Kendrick Perkins as center-center? (Thought he was maybe 6'9".) If not, then neither team in last finals had a center-center. BTW - how many real center-centers are there nowadays in the NBA? Something must be wrong in Amerian's diet these days. We had more good bigs in the 60's, 70's and 80's it seems.

They're still around. Problem is most of them suck. Edited August 3, 2012 by NineOhTheRino

[clicklandshopping]

They're still around. Problem is most of them suck.

So true. Just think about it, Dwight Howard isn't a 7footer. He is undersized by traditional standard. But he is by far the best center in the NBA today. I know we have issues at the center spot, but we have the most options there also. My biggest issues is with the starting shooting guard position.

[lethalweapon3]

We got a center center already! A 7-footer at that (6'6" from the eyebrows down, sure, but who's counting?), and a definite upgrade from the statsheet binary codes we got from JaCo. That's center center enough.

Only questions remaining:

*Was Rick Sund advising on this portion of the trade?

* Does the lack of acknowledgement about the Hawks on his official site and his Twitter suggest he knows to keep his luggage packed? https://twitter.com/frenchi27

* If he stays, is Zaza going to let "27" have his jersey number? http://www.johanpetro27.com/

~lw3

[yungsta]

absolutely we need a center look at the last 5 champions b4 the heat they were all big teams.Lakers bynum/gasolceltics KG/perkins,mavs Dirk/Chandler,spurs tim duncan/nazr muhammed,heat Shaq with alonzo off the bench.All those teams had tough inside presence. Offensively and defensively.The heat are a freak team with superstar wings who can score in the post and draw fouls.So unless we get superstar wings that can draw fouls and score in the post , and get favorable calls. ABSOLUTELY we need a true center.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

If the Heat happened to play a team with a very skilled C and PF that can PUNISH them on the inside, they do not beat that team. OKC was one of the weaker defensive teams in the playoffs, despite all the hype that Ibaka gets as a shot blocker.Had a great defensive team like the Celtics had a center that they could throw in the game to put more muscle in the paint, they beat the Heat. That's why they drafted Fab Melo and Jared Sullinger. Jared potentially gives them a skilled low post player to bring off the bench, while Melo potentially gives them a big body that can clog up the paint. This will continue to preserve a vet like KG to continue to play at a high level.The Celtics may be even STRONGER this year. And that's a scary thought.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

We need a center more just to get Horford over to 4 than we need a center for production. Hell, we could pick up ACL-less Dajuan Blair and I'd be happy with it. Horford is so much more valuable as a PF than a C. Sure, he has gone to the All-Star game as a center and has been productive at that spot, but I feel he could do so much more if he was free from the burden of guarding taller, heavier players. Horf is 6'10", 250. We need a center that is 270+, or an athletic beast like Dwight. I'd rather see Pachulia start at C than to go through another season of seeing our best player playing the wrong position.