nate33 wrote:I think McGee has a certain level of fearlessness in some aspects of the game. He certainly isn't shy about trying to throw down a dunk or block a shot in traffic even when he is unsure of where he's going to land. I don't know if he can harness and expand that fearlessness into a toughness that extends into other avenues of the game, but I think it's possible.
The bottom line is that, for now, we don't have any other guy on the roster who has any potential to be a starting center. McGee is all we've got so there's no use arguing about it. I have no problems with looking for another center to replace him - so long as it's a young guy who can grow with Wall. I do think we have higher priorities though. Right now, our PF situation is terrible unless Blatche has a miraculous turnaround.
Having "non tough center" drains the team on any confidence to win battles in the paint. Getting Seraphin is a part of the solution but the fact that he isn't a getting a crash course at the center spot just as john wall is getting a crash course at the point guard spot is a huge problem.
Blatche may not be knocking down his shots but he meets all the qualifications of a starting powerforward. McGee lacks one the most important requirements of a starting center and this requirement is so important that it can demoralize a team if its not present. I think its an interesting concept though of shyness versus toughness. McGee wants to be a wr or r/b but center position is equaivalent to offensive line. You can't be a successful offensive or defensive lineman without being tough. McGee is not going to bring the wizards longterm success if he isn't can win the tough man to man matches inherent at the center position. Javale enjoys the catching touchdown passes like a w/r---he doesn't enjoy knocking a defensive lineman on his ass so that the qb has enough time to throw a touchdown pass to the w/r. Javale doesn't want the role of the offensive lineman but the offensive lineman duties are essential for longterm success.
Our lack of qualified centers on this team is alot more important than a p/f who's shot isn't falling but who is qualfied to play p/f. Javale doesn't not enjoy playing offensive lineman and doing the grunt work needed for others to shine. He wants to shine but his position is a grunt position that i s extremely important to consistent longterm success. That is why the lack of starting center is this team number one problem. Blatche's loss of his shooting stroke is a temporary problem but there is nothing coaches can do to make Javale enjoy battling in the trenches and doing the tough grunt work of a center. There is not way the coaches can make Javale enjoy jostling for position to open up opportunities for others when Javale wants to be the benefactor.
So again, we know that blatche is a finesse p/f---- there is no such thing as a finesse center. You can't be a finesse player if your job is to guard the toughest player on the opposing team each night. Javale considers himself a finesse center. To be honest, i wonder which poster here disagree with me.
That's very troubling when your Center considers himself a finesse center. Let's be honest, if you were to ask Javale in an interview if he was a finesse center or not would he agree or disagree?
the answer to this question--- is the number problem and highest priority to be solved on this team. AGain, if we had an interview tonight and Javale Mcgee answered that question if he considers himself finesse or not...what would his answer be?
If you ask D.JOrdan that question and obviously you guys haven't seen any interviews or watch much film, I guarantee you he wouldn't consider himself a finesse center. I am almost 90 percent certain that Javale would say yes, he considered himself a finesse center.
Now if we went back to all of the stuff i posted about a starting center being the offensive or defensive line of a team and doing all the tough grunt work that enables the success of the skilled players...then you would understand why---even as of today---the center position is our worst problem and even management has been unsuccessful at transforming Java's thinking about how a Center is suppose to think offensively and defensively. A finesse offensive or defensive line in football--- can not be counted on to win a toughness battle. Java's finesse mentality is why we can't win the toughess battles when the game is on the line.
Java's unsureness of where he is going to land---yeah that's definitely a stretch to consider that having a slight ounce of toughness but i highly doubt it. He doesn't love the idea of being tough. Center is a lunch pale grimy position. Java wants no part of the grimy toughness aspect to being a center. There is no solute to the crowd when you set a bonecrushing pick for a team mate, there is no autographing a basketball when you fight for position and hold off two bigmen so that your team mate gets an easy rebound.
Again, I love Javale's shot blocking, I think he has the potential to be great rebounder, but he is always going to drain your team when a tough player gets physical with him and he doesn't fight back which seems to always happen in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line.
And remember, on most teams that we face, the center normally is bigger and stronger than the p/f meaning that Java is expected on a night to night basis to battle against a tough lunch pale bigman. Its much more likely that the other teams powerforward is a finesse p/f like Blatche versus us facing a "finesse" center like Java. there are a few soft centers but most if not all of the elite playoff teams have 270 lbs physically grinding center that waits until the 4th quarter before they turn on the toughness factor with non tough javale and completely demoralize our team as the other 4 starters watch Java get man handled without fight back. AGain, 3 quarter normally go by and when it counts in the 4th quarter, teams strategically surprise us by getting tough with McGee and Java's 4 other team mates get their spirits drained as they watch our starting center show no toughness when the other starting center strangely gets 4th quarter physical.
So what's the scouting report for the wizards... Let the wizards bigman get a comfort zone in first 3 quarters and watch them become demoralized when they watch their starting center not fight back in the 4th quarter. The team gets completely drained when they see just how "non tough" their starting athletic seven footer really is when things get tough.
Magnumt
