Grange: Raps missing the most basic ingredient

[ontnut]

Who would trade our team for Houston's, straight up?

I would. in a heartbeat. But you'd have to clarify: are T-mac and Yao included in Houston's team? If they aren't, you'd have to exclude Bosh and Hedo as comparable players so technically we trading:

Bargnani
Calderon
Jack
Derozan
Johnson
Weems
Belinelli
Evans
Pops
Banks
Obryant

for

Scola
Ariza
Brooks
Battier
Landry
Hayes
Lowry
Budinger
Dorsey
Andersen

I'd strongly consider it...
Brooks
Ariza
Hedo
Bosh
Scola
with Battier, Landry, Hayes, Lowry off the bench.

Houston:
Calderon
Derozan
Tmac
Bargnani
Yao
with Jack, Johnson, Weems Belinelli off the bench.

Not gonna lie, I like this trade muuuch better for the Raps.

[ontnut]

He's pretty accurate. Although I dispute that Houston doesn't have any good players. Scola and Landry are both top 10 PFs, IMO.

It is still a good matchup for Raps. No low post scoring bigs. No really skilled wings.

Scola is a very good player but lets not overrate him. You did see how our soft front line intimidated the Rockets in the paint right? They are below the rim players.

Where would Scola be on this list? Don't even bother with Landry who is near the Brandon Bass level, a guy who is not even playing much in ORL. Scola you might say is slightly above Haslem? But is he better than Elton Brand or Thompson/Blair/West?


Tim Duncan
KG
Bosh
Pau Gasol
Dirk
Boozer
Amare
Scola
Josh Smith
Landry
AntawnJamison
Marcus Camby
KMart/Chris Andersen
Aldridge
David Lee
Haslem/Beasley
Rashard/Bass
Zach Randolph
David West
Dajuan Blair
Jason Thompson
Elton Brand
Boris Diaw

We didn't intimidate them, we shot over them. They're short, and one is playing C for most of the game. They're still both strong defenders for their position. It's already been posted that Scola leads the league in defensive rebounding (30.6%). The next closest is Carlos Boozer at 29.9%. Dwight Howard is at 28.4. Chris Bosh is at 26.5. Joakim Noah is at 26.2.

Landry and Scola are exceptional low-post players. 58% of Landry's attempts come in the paint. Scola is at 52%. Compare that to Duncan (42%), KG (31%), Bosh (49%), Boozer (46%), Stoudamire (52%).

O RLY? You're kidding right? Scola over the NBA's leading shot blocker who just so happens to average 15, 8, 3, 1.5stl, 2.5blk, on 52% shooting and Landry over three or four 20-10 type players? They're good role players but seriously, if you were starting a team and had a choice of PF to start your team with, you really gonna go with Landry over Jamison, Beasley, Aldridge, West, Lewis...?