winforlose wrote:[instagram][/instagram]
Klomp wrote:BlacJacMac wrote:I'm not completely convinced that Naz doesn't fall into this category too. He's just such a weird player. He's basically a giant SF that doesn't have the rebounding or defense of a PF or C. But he's crazily effective in a role usually manned by SGs or Combo Guards.
My gut says he's not a starter on a contender, but he is a really valuable piece still.
Plus it would be a massive PR hit if we move/lose him...
Yep, after I made my rotation outline above, I second-guessed myself about Reid. He's probably the most difficult player on the team to pin down what the team would do, because of the fan-favorite status and his cheaper price tag compared to the starting bigs at the moment.
Is prime Naz equivalent to prime KAT?
No. Not at all.
KAT is a much more complete offensive player, light years better as a rebounder and a significantly better defender.
The one place that Naz has the edge is he makes lightning fast decisions. He's always either going to shoot, drive or give up the ball immediately upon getting it. There is never any hesitation or probing. Now, he doesn't always make the right decision, but he's as decisive as anyone in the game.
I wish KAT had more of that. Because he's a true 3-level scorer. He has a ton of post moves that he really hasn't used in years as well as a solid mid-range. But he's also sacrificed a ton of offense to be a team player. So we're really not getting all of KAT.
KAT had an up and down playoff. But it was mostly up before he got his (already injured) knee taken out late in the Denver series. He wasn't the same player after that. He was gutting it out on 1 leg through the Dallas series.
Naz got exposed a bit in the Playoffs. The rebounding was awful. And outside of a handful of absolute highlight blocks, he was a mess on defense. And his 3 ball deserted him for most of the postseason.
Maybe Prime Naz is 75% of Prime KAT. And that's pretty good. But that last 25% is the most valuable/rare thing in the NBA. Its the difference between a really good player and a star.