PandaKidd wrote:Yeah but you cant take the guy that most people thought wasnt that great who turned out to have a GREAT 20 game stretch at the end of the season and then say Ferry screwed up. its revisionist history, you know that.
Am I upset? yeah, so are a ton of other teams who didnt take Dieng, but again, he had like 20-30 games of production.
Whoa. I was singing Dieng's praises all last spring. I literally had a dozen posts across three different Hawks fans sites stating how much of a beast I thought he was.
He went to Minny and there were two problems: He was stuck behind two high priced veterans. Adelman comes from the Old School train of thought that you don't play rookies.
He did not get much burn at all in the early going of the season. Once injuries came into play and he was forced into a starting role, he avg 12 ppg & 12 rpg & 1.7 bpg as a Rookie with no plays being called for him. He is an elite rebounder and shot blocker. Things I've wanted from a starting Center for years.
Adelman made a huge mistake not playing him earlier. Dude is battle tested as a NCAA Champion, has a nice mid-range game and is a beast defensively. He's been compared to Serge Ibaka, which seems fair.
If we'd had Dieng on our squad last year, I think we have a winning record and don't miss a beat without Horford. (Like 2012) Playing alongside Horford, I think they bully ever front court in the East (except WAS and CHA)
azuresou1 wrote:Why would you want Dieng over Bebe? Bebe's upside is FAR better than Dieng's.
I am still of the belief that Horford next to a defensive Center would be a dominant front court. I always believed Dieng could start from Day One and possibly be moved in trade as part of a larger move as his immediate contributions would increase his value within a year or two.
Bebe is a project with potential. But if he gets here at 23 lacking the same polish and experience Dieng got in College, it's kind of all for naught. Meanwhile, Horford, Teague are in their prime today and get 0 benefit from the Bebe selection.
I'd take Dieng today as my starting Center hands down. Dieng started for an NCAA Champion and played a key role on one of the best teams in the NCAA. Bebe has been a backup his whole career on a team that won nothing. He lacks basic BBall knowledge. He lacks strength. He lacks offensive skills. He's all potential. I prefer accomplishment over potential.