doct3r dr3 wrote:OrlandO wrote:He never got big minutes because his foul rate is atrocious... plus he's just not that good overall.
His career foul rate is actually
identical to Dedmon's. His shotblocking rate, however, is superior to Dedmon's.
Dedmon doesn't get big minutes either, and I'm fine with that. If either could block shots and/or protect the paint without hacking they'd get more minutes and may even be worth starting on some decent teams. That kind of defensive improvement is easier said than done though. "Top-flight" shot blockers tend to block shots without assaulting opponents.
As for which player I give the edge to... I'd easily pick Dedmon as he could still improve in certain areas over the next couple seasons. Started playing ball later in life, significantly less NBA experience, and this season he'll be the same age Stiemsma was as a rookie four seasons ago.
In Boston, Stiemsma was a 26 year old rookie playing on a contender. His block rate was very good, but his foul rate was horrid at 10 fouls per 100 poss. But hey, at the time you could give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he would improve. Well, that never happened... a couple seasons later in New Orleans at age 28, his block and foul rates were very similar to Dedmon's this past season (his rim protection figure was much worse, too). Who cares about career block numbers when it's declined with each season - and he's still a foul machine. The window for defensive improvement is shut for Stiemsma as he's about to turn 30.