hands11 wrote:Ruzious wrote:hands11 wrote:But since he does seem to problems breathing and he does like to run, wouldn't he be better using him 20 minutes or so a game off the bench instead ?
He is a momentum changer. Maybe we should use him that way.
We did slate him to be our Birdman last year.
But when you have arguably the most athletic center in the NBA - and he's 7'1.25, do you really want to keep your expectations that low?
But what makes a center a center ? You have 6-9 and 6-10 centers. Is McGee really a center or is he just 7-1 and we need a center so we call him one.
Rule #1 for a center in my book is they have to be able to defend the position. They have know the game well enough to play team D. One of Haywood greatest strengths ( beside his 7-0 strong body ) was that he was smart and vocal. He know what to do man on man and zone and called out the defense to the team. Center is the middle LB of basketball.
Is that McGee ?
It's not really a matter of low expectations. It's a matter of facing reality about what you have in him and how long it will likely take for things to change enough that you can count him as a starter. Remember how young he is 22. And how much experience he has. 2 sessions. And that he is an 18th pick 7-1 project big. And that this is only his second year under a defensive coach (Flip) and he has already played for two coaches. Project bigs like this usually are not starting centers after only two years. He isn't a Lopez.
We all know he was really raw coming into the league. He has actually surprised a lot of people with how athletic he is and how well he can run and leap. Personally, I even believe that he will develop a reliable shot with some range over the next two years. But as of right now, he doesn't even bring the ball up to it's peak for the release. When he learns to do that, he is going to be a lot harder to block. Dirk doesn't even jump when he shoots but his release is really high.
But as we have learned more about the kid we have also learned that he is NY mentally. Meaning he is mostly focused on relying on his athletics over using his brain. He is also more focused on what he can do with the ball anytime it hits his hands as was evident in that USA scrimmage where instead of just giving the ball back to the ball handler who got stuck, he without any hesitation shot a poor outside shoot. To make matters worse, he didn't even get set. Seeing that tells me he still hasn't learned what a team needs from him and he is still in spazz mode. They game hasn't slowed down for him. He is just operating off instincts. He doesn't play smart team ball. He doesn't know when it is appropriate for him to shoot. But that isn't an issue if he is on a fast break and someone throws it up there for him. That is a green light to flush it down.
So what you have is a 7-1 high flying dunking big with lots of agility who can drive and put the ball behind his back on the way to the hoop. That doesn't sound like a move a center attempts. It's amazing he can do it, but that isn't what we primarily need from him. Sounds more like a SF or a very athletic PF. He has asthma and get winded. He doesn't get the mental part of the game yet. He doesn't like the contact of the post game but he did put in good work this summer and added 7 pounds of muscle to get stronger. A player who mentally wants to play the game Dray plays more than trying to develop into the role we need him to play as a defensive center. A kid that is still very young at 22 and still only played 2 sessions.
So IMO, all that adds up to.
- You keep him around because he is progressing physically and he is only 22.
- He isn't really behind schedule as a starting center. It takes longer than 2 years for a project like him who was to skinny to bang in the middle.
- You use his energy and athleticism while he learns more. This means a role player off the bench.
Hands11 Rule #1 - All your starters have to be at least good defenders. Your centers have to be at least a 7 out of 1-10. I prefer at least an 8.
- Don't put a square peg in a round hole. McGee sees his game developing as a more athletic version of Dray. If he could become that, he could be absolutely amazing. It could be a while before he ever gets the mental part but what he can do physically is amazing. If we didn't need a center so badly, I would play him 80% of the time at PF. But this is what we did to Dray also. We needed a center more that an PF and Dray was 7-0. What if Darryl Green was made into a WR simply because he was so fast. Right now, McGee is not a center. He is not a mental player which you need to be if you want to be a center. He is not that mental and physical LB like Haywood was.
So I say use and develop that kid for what positives he can give you instead of being frustrated by what he isn't ready to give you while he continues to mature mentally and physically.
All that adds up to a role player off the bench because we already have Dray at PF. A high flying running transition 7-1 high flying PF who can block shots and give you some minutes at C if you put a strong PF next to him.
Best way to start him is to put him with Dray and let Dray defend the center. But that isn't ideally what this team needs. You would be taking away from Drays game just to make room for McGee. With the right center, Dray should play 90% of the time at PF on both ends.
But he isn't ready to start at center and defend the position. He isn't basketball smart enough or mature enough to do it. He is simply a 7-1 version of NY. He is closer to an Amare type. He is a transition big who can run that doesn't defend well. It's going to take at least another year of adding muscle and learning more about the game before he can possible start at center. If that is even the right thing to do with him instead of PF. I have long said, let the kid do what he knows he can do first. Let him be a transition PF while he matures and gets stronger and learns the game. Then maybe move him to center later.
As of today, I would rather see Yi, Armstrong starting at center. Once I see Seraphin, I will know more if he is worthy of the investment of starting minutes. I at least know he wants to play there and has the lower body to do it and he has a back to the basket game with left and right handed hook shots. I have a feeling Seraphin is going to show us he will be able to grow into that players at center quicker than McGee. And because I believe Seraphin will develop more quickly there, I think McGee is going to develop as an off the bench transition high flying PF. Birdman with more offense or an Amare type.
