The_Hater wrote:RHODEY wrote:The_Hater wrote:
I think adding a top 20-25 player and allstar playing a position of need is more important than keeping your backup Center. So Yes. He’s better than both Tatum and Brown just as Kyrie was also better so having Walker take those shots also makes you a better Offensive team.
Besides, Baynes really isn’t any better than Kanter or Theis or Williams, Horford is the real loss here.
Retaining Baynes and Morris would have mitigated that loss. Pretending those 2 are marginal players is delusional.
Sorry. you’ll have to point out where I called either of those players marginal? I’ll wait.
But since you’re going to toss around the word delusional, I’ll chime in. Anyone thinking that a back up Center and a backup forward are more valuable to any team than an all star PG and 3rd team all-NBA player is delusional.
And it’s especially delusional when that team has depth to replace the minutes of those players at both the forward and Center spots but was about to lose both their top PG’s and was looking painfully thin at guard.
Baynes is a fantastic defensive player. It won't ever show up in the box score. You have to watch it game after game to see what is going on.
He is a fantastic rim protector, but he doesn't block shots. He protects the rim in a way that nobody else in the league does. He goes straight up and lets you run into the brick wall. Guys fly off and wonder what the hell just happened. It is an experience that they don't have against anybody else in the league. The result is similar, but it doesn't show up in the box score like a shot blocker.
He is also great for defensive rebounding, but it isn't going to show in a traditional box score. He isn't the one who ends up grabbing a ton of rebounds, but he clears out a ton of space so the team can grab them.
Last year, he was down a notch in these categories. He went from elite the prior 2 years to just really good. Was it just a 1 year thing or is the start of the decline? Either way, he is a much better defensive player than the normal viewer realizes. But yes, he really is better than Theis and Williams. Kanter, you can make the argument that their abilites on the other ends offset, but I would much, much rather have Baynes.