Nets wont win a title with the garbage they have at center

[Sharcm1]

I didn’t realize Shaq was still on the Lakers and everyone needs a powerful center rotation to have a chance. Lol

This isn’t the same power center game it used to be. The nets will be just fine as long as they are healthy. It wasn’t just missing harden the other night bs the Lakers. They were also missing Irving for half the game and Johnson who plays the back up pg. I know the Lakers were missing everyone too. But let’s be realistic. These games don’t matter much. They never do. We will see what happens in the play offs.

[PistolPeteJR]

Apparently you haven’t been paying attention the last few seasons.

The Lakers won with Howard/Mcgee

The Warriors won with Bogut/Mcgee and other dregs

The Cavs won with Thompson/Frye/Mozgov

Since when is having a great Center important to winning a championship? Aldridge/Claxton/Jordan isn’t even the worst group out of these 4 teams and might be the strongest.

The Nets have problems which may hold them back, but this one doesn’t even rank in the top 7 imo.

This is somewhat dishonest because the Lakers played AD at the 5 a lot, and the Warriors played Draymond at the 5 a lot. In this era, in the seasons when the aforementioned teams won, those would be considered as “great centers”.

Fair point, but I’m sure we’ll also see the Nets go small with KD at the 5 and force teams to match up with them in the other end.

Agreed, but both AD and prime Draymond at the 5 >>>>>> KD at the 5.

[TravisScott55]

Hmm, their offense is so overwhelming they may not need one.

[iamworthy]

Andre Drummond shouldn't even be on the opponents scouting reports. They need to focus on LeBron,AD, and keeping Dennis out of the lane.... And that's the beauty of it.

[9th Wonder]

As others have pointed out, recent champions have featured Javale, Dwight, Joel Anthony, Bogut (eventually sent to the bench in favour of Iggy), etc. The problem for the Nets is, unlike these other teams, they don't have the defensive personnel up and down the roster to account for a weak centre rotation. I don't see guys with the defensive acumen of Draymond, AD, prime-LeBron, etc. on that Nets roster. Not having a viable option at centre to shore up a weak defensive roster might be a real issue.

[Pointgod]

Nets will be fine. Their center rotation is pretty deep to the point that Jordan is getting DNPCD’s. Claxton has been good, Aldridge will cause a lot of problems for opposing defences.

[Metallikid]

LaMarcus does his post moves and counter-moves and the TV announcers praise him. To my eyes, LA looks like he's regressed to the level of a rookie Aaron Gray. So prideful of these post moves but they don't actually work if someone puts a body on him.

I'll bet you he has a playoff game where he gets 10 free throws.

[beeshma]

LaMarcus does his post moves and counter-moves and the TV announcers praise him. To my eyes, LA looks like he's regressed to the level of a rookie Aaron Gray. So prideful of these post moves but they don't actually work if someone puts a body on him.

I'll bet you he has a playoff game where he gets 10 free throws.

that would be astonishing and praiseworthy. we’ll see...

[LakersNavy]

The Nets defense in general is bad, but we already knew this. I'm amazed at the number of people who are saying that defense doesn't matter and the Nets will just score 130 every game come playoff time. There's a reason teams with average, much less outright bad, don't win titles. It's easy for fans to become enamored with scoring and forget about the other side of the ball

[DreamTeam09]

I didn’t realize Shaq was still on the Lakers and everyone needs a powerful center rotation to have a chance. Lol

This isn’t the same power center game it used to be. The nets will be just fine as long as they are healthy. It wasn’t just missing harden the other night bs the Lakers. They were also missing Irving for half the game and Johnson who plays the back up pg. I know the Lakers were missing everyone too. But let’s be realistic. These games don’t matter much. They never do. We will see what happens in the play offs.

Jokic while having finesse skills, is still a load to deal with in the paint (Mvp season)

Howard won the chip last year playing that role and he was an integral part to that chip

Bam was in the finals and was bullying ppl all playoffs

Embiid having an mvp type season playing the power centre game

Lopez, not a power centre at all, still a big body that's a load to move

My point is, those big body centres, every good team has one and needs 1. BK has DAJ too tho, so we'll see how this all plays out. Nash is gonna have to use him in the post season

[LakersNavy]

The Nets defense in general is bad, but we already knew this. I'm amazed at the number of people who are saying that defense doesn't matter and the Nets will just score 130 every game come playoff time. There's a reason teams with average, much less outright bad, don't win titles. It's easy for fans to become enamored with scoring and forget about the other side of the ball

[ropjhk]

Lakers won the title with AD/Morris at center. You don't need a "real center" to win it all.

Davis should be considered a special case as he is more than capable of playing the center role if necessary.

[hoosierdaddy34]

Claxton is a good enough defender to offer rim protection.

How exactly is playing Claxton going to get Drummond off the floor? The Lakers aren’t going to switch, they will hedge until the ball Defender can recover. This is basic defense when you have a non offensive big on the floor like Claxton.

To play Drummond off the floor you’d need to run KD, or at least Green, at the 5.

Put him in pick and rolls and target him with KD and Kyrie. he will have no choice.

Similar to what the Warriors did with Gobert.

You realize that Andre Drummond isn’t an incompetent basketball player right? You aren’t going to play him off the court by using a big man who can do just one thing offensively.

But as stated earlier by another poster...please build your game plan against the Lakers around Drummond. That would be great.

[hoosierdaddy34]

Put him in pick and rolls and target him with KD and Kyrie. he will have no choice.

Similar to what the Warriors did with Gobert.

Think like he can actually move his feet. It's Gasol you can play off the court by spamming pick and rolls and screen action. The problem with playing either off the court is it forces AD to play the 5, which well yikes as he's an even better 5 than either and unlocks the paint for Lebron and makes the defense full switchable.

Yeah obviously we don't want AD at the 5 but have to take advantage of Drummond while hes on the floor.

Hes a defensive liability on switches and at the FT line.

Nets can also play KD at the 5 for maximum spacing if need be. Harden/Kyrie/Harris/Green/KD

That works great for the Lakers. Now you have no rim
Protection against LeBron and AD. That’s the type of game the Lakers want to play against the Nets, who honestly have no defenders on the floor with that lineup.

[iamworthy]

News flash, Lakers have the best small ball 5 and 4.

[LOUiS-D]

I say this without a trace of sarcasm or hyperbole: Nicolas Claxton is the most powerful entity in the multiverse. So I don't know what OP is smoking.

[danvato]

The Nets defense in general is bad, but we already knew this. I'm amazed at the number of people who are saying that defense doesn't matter and the Nets will just score 130 every game come playoff time. There's a reason teams with average, much less outright bad, don't win titles. It's easy for fans to become enamored with scoring and forget about the other side of the ball

Did you also know that since Fed 10th, which is more than 2 months of basketball and almost 30 games, the Nets defense is tied for 12th in the league with the Clippers?

https://go.nba.com/4tsg

Why Feb 10th? Because before that they had a stretch of games where they played the worst defense of all time. The 2 months since seems like a reasonable enough sample to state their defense isn't "bad" don't you think?

[SkyHookFTW]

Why? Embiid is more happy to play outside than inside and in finals you have someone like Gobert who won't win you serie on the offensive side even if you leave him wide open.

Embiid's been playing a lot more inside this year and it shows. He seems like he went up a level with his play. But they don't have a true second option so I still think the Nets win every other battle besides center.

[Karate Diop]

For all the talk about the Nets getting killed inside since the all-star game they've allowed the fourth fewest points per game in the paint and have been middle of the pack in terms of defensive rating (13th best overall)... With players constantly in and out and the craziness of the season it's not really reasonable to expect the the consistency to be there yet, but the team has proven capable of getting stops when it matters...

[xinxin]

If harden is healthy and he's allowed to run the Nets offense, the Nets are the team to beat.

they just have to have a decent defense which they have shown that they are capable of. it wasnt evident in the first few games of Harden joining the team, but they seem to be able to turn it up, if they want to.