3rd Round - Decide our PF target - NCAA tourney style

[The Guilty Party]

There's definitely legit reason to believe that Brand can return to putting up 24 and 10 next season. That said, he's not a slam-dunk which is why this thread exists. If Elton Brand weren't coming off of an injury, he would (still will) easily win this thing.

[philbe311]

Bold your picks

Bracket 1 - Unrestricted FA

[philbe311]

There's definitely legit reason to believe that Brand can return to putting up 24 and 10 next season. That said, he's not a slam-dunk which is why this thread exists. If Elton Brand weren't coming off of an injury, he would (still will) easily win this thing.

It's not next year that I'm concerned about... It's the year after that, and after that, etc... It's gonna take a lot of years and a lot of $$$... I don't want him to become another imovable contract... I'm a huge Brand Fan, but I'm not sure I make a 5 year commitment to him...

[IggyTheBEaST]

Bold your picks

Bracket 1 - Unrestricted FA

[freshie2]

I want a recount...how is this guy not on the ballot...


13. Andris Biedrins, Golden State
Age: 21 | Profile
Birth Date: 04/02/86
Born: Riga, Latvia

Position: Center
NBA experience: 4 years
2007-08 PER: 18.13

One of the best percentage shooters in league history, Biedrins' 62.1 mark from the field this season is his fourth straight season above 57 percent from the floor. The Latvian lefty has also become an elite rebounder, pulling down 13.6 boards per 40 minutes, and at just 21 years of age still has plenty of upside to explore. He'd probably be more recognized for his skills if his coach didn't hate centers -- somehow, Biedrins only plays 26.7 minutes per game, and he has come off the pine 15 times even though Golden State has no other credible size.

[ProcessDoctor]

Bold your picks

Bracket 1 - Unrestricted FA

[The Sixer Fixer]

I want a recount...how is this guy not on the ballot...


13. Andris Biedrins, Golden State
Age: 21 | Profile
Birth Date: 04/02/86
Born: Riga, Latvia

Position: Center
NBA experience: 4 years
2007-08 PER: 18.13

You have the reason why in your post....he's a C and this is about our future PF. He is a HORRIBLE fit next to Sam. Both those guys would get in each others way down low. They both need to play under the basket on O and D. They have almost the exact same skill set on both sides of the court. Sam has more range on his jumper, but neither of these guys would fit as a low post scorer. They get 95% of their pts about 1 foot or less from the basket. No back to the basket game for either. If Sam is our long term C, then our PF needs to be able to score down low. Someone has to be able to command a double team in the post and open up the perimeter guys. If Sam is offseason trade bait, then I'd be interested in Biedrins as our C, otherwise it would be a real bad move to make an offer for him. Highly doubt GS lets him walk anyhow. They have continued to say he's going no where. Heck, they have no other bigs on the team.

As for other GS players, I might be interested in taking a look at Patrick O'Bryant as a backup C to Sam if he comes cheap. Also, might be interested in Harrington if we can get him without giving up any core players. He's not one of my favorite guys in the league, but his style might fit here. He can run the court, he can step out and hit a 3 and he can play decent down low. Not a real good defender...that's the downside.

[freshie2]

I think you could pair Biedrens and Sam. Defensively, they are both long, athletic players that can match up with 95% of the PFs (save the Amare's of the world). Defense would be my biggest concern. Otherwise, the Sixers low post offense may well go through Thad. He appears very comfortable around the basket, and will be able to have success against most SFs down low. We'll have to see what moves they make in the off season, but the team revolves offensively around the swing players and PG...of the players listed above, only Brand and Wallace give you the low post presence to change that. Considering that, give me the 21 year old athletic big man...

I wondered about O'Bryant as well, but then I saw him against Fesenko in the D-league game this week. Small sample size, but he doesn't appear to be worth much. Not sure what the league minimum is, but that's the very high end of the scale for him. Fesenko looked like 10x the prospect of O'Bryant.

[The Sixer Fixer]

I just can't see how those 2 down low would work together. We would have the worst front court scoring tandem in the league (only slightly better than what we have now with the combo of Thad/Evans and Sam). Both guy get a large share of their pts off lobs to the rim.

Sam and Biedrins are "athletic" I agree with that, but neither are fast or have any lateral quickness to play PF full-time. Watch Sam try to defend any PF who can put the ball on the floor...1 step and they blow by him. As soon as you make 1 fake, Sam bites and it caught completely off balance. Sometimes he can recover and block a shot from behind, but clearly not solid D. Biedrins plays way too "stiff" to be a PF in the NBA. Not real mobile.

You won't be a championship caliber team with a PF/C combo who can average about a max of 25 combined pts/gm.

I'm not really an O'Bryant fan. I thought he made a bone head decision to enter the draft when he did. He had some of the works footwork in college. He could have been called for a travel on like 50% of his possessions (similar to DeAndre Jordan this year). Classic case of a big who is too raw for the NBA, but knows he will be a lottery pick and runs for the $$ way before he should then gets lost in the NBA. It is slightly encouraging to see his #'s in limited D league action though (admit I'm going strictly off #'s since I can't see the games).

Only 6 games, but averaging 16.5 PPG, 9.7 REB, 3.0 Blocks/GM. Not great for the D league, but it's a start.

[IggyTheBEaST]

Sixer Fixer, you answered your own question, our scoring tandem is terrible right now, but we are still winning. Add Beidrins who is a much better defensive big than reggie and...

He is not my first choice, but I wouldnt be upset if we got him either

[Shav]

Bracket 1 - Unrestricted FA

[Stanford]

Bracket 1 - Unrestricted FA

[The Sixer Fixer]

Sixer Fixer, you answered your own question, our scoring tandem is terrible right now, but we are still winning. Add Beidrins who is a much better defensive big than reggie and...

He is not my first choice, but I wouldnt be upset if we got him either

A slight offensive upgrade over what we have now is not the long term answer IMO. Show me the championship teams that have had no low true post scoring option (and no MJ) and then maybe I will buy into this philosophy. It's a recipe for disaster plain and simple. We need a HUGE upgrade offensively if we are going to invest 5 yrs at about 11-13 mil/yr. And I will say it again, just cause Sam and Biedrins are above average defenders at C, doesn't mean they can defend the PF spot on a fulltime basis. We need a traditional PF. This is also why I don't support going after that overrated P.O.S Okafor. He's an overrated defensive player and a garbage offensive player. He's a joke for thinking he deserves a max contract like Dwight Howard. No way I want us to invest 13+ mil in a player like that. That contract would kill us based on what he would offer.

[Fire BK]

Since when was Rasheed Wallace available? I don't get it.

[The Guilty Party]

I also haven't heard anything about Sheed being available but I don't believe it's that much of a stretch to believe that he could be moved this summer should things end this year the way they did last year.

[Fire BK]

I also haven't heard anything about Sheed being available but I don't believe it's that much of a stretch to believe that he could be moved this summer should things end this year the way they did last year.

no chance man. book it.

[The Sixer Fixer]

Since when was Rasheed Wallace available? I don't get it.

As I said in the first thread on this topic, it's not about who is "supposed" to be avilable and who is not. There is absolutelty no way anyone here can know for sure who will and who won't be available by next year. A lot can be determined by what teams do from here thought the playoffs and also via the draft/FA.

The assumption for this topic is every in real life is at least available for discussion in trades and thus COULD be traded in the right deal. IMO there is no untradebale player in the NBA. Maybe LeBron, but depending on the offer, even he could be moved (obvioulsy it's not likely, but huge names in the NBA have been traded before so you can't say it's impossible).

[roseorbust]

Bracket 1 - Unrestricted FA

[IggyTheBEaST]

round 4 time

[philbe311]

Sheed and Mo back together again...