KAT and Dieng - frontcourt of the future?

[Nitroglycerin]

as many said, its a nice worst case scenario pairing. which means wolves can take bpa in draft(before, I thought the PF position is their biggest need especially BJ struggling and Payne a wildcard)

[moss_is_1]

Ideally I'd like to have Dieng as our 3rd big. He and Towns play well together, but I'd like a better starter for sure. Then Bjelica or Pek could play the 4th big spot depending on matchups/health.

[Crazy-Canuck]

I like the pros Tirion posted. Why not, Favors and Gobert work, why can't Dieng and Towns

Those 2 work because they are a wall defensively while being solid offensively. Gobert is a put back guy while favors can facr up or post up.

Dieng and kat look good offensively, but they operate in similar areas. Defensively they are poor.

Dieng is better served as the 3 rd big. Someone who can spot start and play minuted relieving the starting bigs.

The last 2 games theyve been matched up with undersized bigs.

Lac. Jordan and small forwards.
Buls. An injury depleted frontcourt. Gasol isnt a defender, but he dominated offensively. No one else is even close in size.

Lakers were a big team and we got thoroughly pounded in the paint.

[ESPNSAMI]

Dieng current development is a great surprise and definitely a piece that should be kept for the future.

He can be serviceable starter for now and with the lack of positive play from Bender, this continues to lead me to believe that Jamal Murray should be targeted more.

[minimus]

Hell yeah, Twin Towers 2.0! Just find a bruiser a-la Jeff Adrien as 3rd bigmen for next couple years. Wait until KAT fully develops and create chemistry between our bigs. Wait until Pek contract expires. Until then invest in 3&D guys or exceptional shooter a-la Korver or quality backup PG.

[PharmD]

I think Towns has all the skills to play either the 4 or 5. Just find the BPA among 4s and 5s and go from there.

I'd trade Gorgui if we could get a monster haul (like a top 10 pick).

[Tirion]

So the consensus among those who don't want to see KAT and Dieng paired long-term is that Gorgui just isn't good enough to be a starter on a contender? I respectfully disagree.

I mean Spurs started centers alongside Duncan (who is a center himself) for his whole career, preserving his health in the process. If it worked for them just fine, Wolves can do the same.

KAT definitely has the potential to be Duncan-like anchoring the defense and he's quick enough to guard athletic centers or stretch PFs. Gorgui is a capable shotblocker and can handle the less athletic traditional bigmen just fine. For years Wolves had no rim protection and now they have two good to great shotblockers, so this can finally be their strength.

And rebounding advantage for having two players over 6-11 on the court can't be discounted too. You win rebounding battle most nights and it's goes a long way towards winning, especially if you are not an elite three-point shooting team (and Wolves probably won't be that with Rubio and Wiggins).

[Klomp]

I still think Dieng is best off the bench, but I would rather Dieng start next to Towns than Bazz/LaVine start next to Wiggins if given the choice right now.

[Klomp]

Last six starts
18.2 ppg (67% FG), 10.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.7 bpg

When everyone was getting so excited about the last few weeks of his rookie year, over those last 18 games he averaged
12.0 ppg (53% FG), 11.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 bpg

[Basti]

They've had a promising few weeks together as of late and that's definitely great to see but ideally G should be the 3rd big in the rotation. Although one might wonder if G's decent play as of late is attributed to him being a starter and its mental aspect to it. I wouldn't be surprised if his confidence is high right now helping him to play well. If he were to be benched again, who knows if he'll revert back to very inconsistent play. So it would make sense to entertain trade ideas right now. Not that I want him to be traded, as he's one of my favorite Wolves, but his trade value is rather high right now.

[andyhop]

So the consensus among those who don't want to see KAT and Dieng paired long-term is that Gorgui just isn't good enough to be a starter on a contender? I respectfully disagree.

People think that every starter has to be excellent if you want to contend or win a title despite the evidence to the contrary.

[Dewey]

I like Dieng as a 3rd big right now, but if he and KAT continue to build chemistry, I see no issue with him as a starter with KAT long-term. Pretty fortunate situation considering Peks status, and ya gotta give Dieng credit for taking advantage of the opportunity.

[Klomp]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JerryZgoda/status/696770063051972608[/tweet]

[rugbyrugger23]

Wolves are in good position with who should be available come draft day as PF or C to pair with Towns. They should also monitor Philly situation. Wolves can pick swap their 4-6 pick with OKC or Heat owed Philly...of course ready to add value as needed for either Noel or Okafor. I am not sure who I prefer or who Wolves coaches prefer, but I think one of them could be had if Wolves don't love who is available 4-6.

[Murphs56]

Curious if Dieng will even be here in the future. You can bet a team will offer him some big bucks especially since his first contract will be his big one

[wablty]

I like the look, but not as a constant feature. Something you can start with or mix in for heavy doses sure. When 2 bigs can really get the high low game going, it's a pretty thing. You don't see it much anymore. If you're going to start them both or play them both big minutes, you need to acquire at least one more solid 4/5. Not a true C. He'll have to be able to split minutes with both of them.

[minimus]

Dieng has been impressive so far. Not only skills wise, but I'd say that he and KAT are the most reliable players right now. Yes, he is clearly limited, but I like his constant effort, unselfishness. He is not an ideal bigman, but he is "reliable" enough to build our front court of future with KAT.

[Tirion]

Smooth KAT and The Panther strike again:

49 pts/21 rebounds/7 assists/2 steals/4 blks/ 16-26 from the field. Each with a +11 on the game.

People need to believe, yo.

[Ferulci]

I like the pros Tirion posted. Why not, Favors and Gobert work, why can't Dieng and Towns

Favors and Gobert are arguably the 2 most important assets of Utah. Dieng is not a core piece of Twolves. He's behind Towns, Wiggins, Rubio and Lavine, and you've got to build around your superstars.
Dieng is a nice player, but in my opinion you should trade him while he has value :
- Can you imagine the spacing with a Towns-Dieng-Wiggins-Lavine-Rubio lineup ?
- He'll get killed by small ball lineup.
- There is a market for him. Teams like Chicago/Portland/Boston/Dallas/Atlanta could be interested by his skillset.
In my opinion, showcase his value and trade him for a 3&D wings/PF when an offer comes.

[Devilzsidewalk]

He's on a crazy unsustainable hot streak offensively; I'm going to keep an eye on the pairing the rest of the season to try and get a better idea of what they're capable of. I can't decide if they're caught between styles with him on the court - not really small ball because Gorgui has kinda heavy feet and good, but not great shooting range, but not really big ball because Gorgui and Towns have good, but not overwhelming size. But then it might be a beneficial versatility that can offer aspects of both styles. We'll learn more over the next 2 months.