nevetsov wrote:Ok, when you have a guy called Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time, on your team, you can be afforded a little bit of leeway.
Every team that wins a championship has at least one great player, and that player always gives some "leeway." Steve Nash is still that player for the Phoenix Suns. The Suns offense is still freakishly efficient when he is on the court. The argument can very, very easily be made that he is the most valuable offensive player ever--certainly since 1973, the earliest time offensive efficiency stats can be evaluated.
nevetsov wrote:2004 Pistons had a guy called Rasheed Wallace, who I believe was one of 4 all stars and a guy who could certainly score the ball, complemented by arguably the best defensive complement you could hope for.
They had a GREAT defensive frontcourt...and a mediocre offensive frontcourt. Rasheed averaged 13.7 points per game for them that year on 43% shooting (compare that with Gortat this year: 13 ppg on 56% shooting).
According to 2007-2008 five-year APM (which obviously covers the championship year), Wallace and Wallace both had freakishly amazing defensive APM, while Ben had terrible offensive APM and Rasheed had very average offensive APM. Rasheed's offense ranks him behind--for example--Barbosa, Artest, Nick Collison, and dozens more.
nevetsov wrote:Considering you could only find those two core teams in over twenty years of basketball as examples against my point, I think there's certainly merit in my proposal.
3 core teams, but whatever. Here's the point. EVERY team had an elite defensive frontcourt. With the lone exception of the 2004 Pistons, every team had at least one elite/very good offensive player, often more. If you assume you have an average of about 2 great offensive players, it's f*cking obvious one of them will often be a frontcourt player.
My argument is that it doesn't have to be. Which I've more than proved.
If you look at championship teams' best offensive frontourt player since 1990, some are great, some are good, and some are maybe slightly better than average (if that)...
Great
Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaq
Duncan
Good
Garnett
Gasol
Approximately Average
Wallace
Anyone on the Bulls championship teams
Anyone on the 1990 Pistons
