Starting center next year? Options are limited...

[XTC]

I wonder how much DeRozan would be asking for TBH... That and if we re-upped lowry + went after Richaun Holmes + Won the draft lottery I know we dont have the salary for all this it's more of a what if scenerio

FVV/Lowry
Cade/GTJ
OG/Derozan
Siakam/Boucher
Holmes/Birch

[Indeed]

I wonder how much DeRozan would be asking for TBH... That and if we re-upped lowry + went after Richaun Holmes + Won the draft lottery I know we dont have the salary for all this it's more of a what if scenerio

FVV/Lowry
Cade/GTJ
OG/Derozan
Siakam/Boucher
Holmes/Birch

We don't have the salary for all these, and DeRozan isn't coming off the bench.

[Wannabe MEP]

Can Birch handle larger C's? So far, I would say no.

What type of situations/plays are you picturing with this? Do you mean the other team is posting up their big center against Birch? Or something else?

If you mean post ups, then...

According to NBA.com tracking numbers, players have scored 0.75 points per possession on post ups vs Birch. In general against the Raptors, teams have scored 0.94 points per possession on post ups. Either way: that's horrible offense. We would LOVE to have teams post up against Birch. (FYI, 0.86 for Boucher. Love that too.)

[Wannabe MEP]

I haven't seen enough to have an eye test opinion but Muscala's impact on the Thunder seems to have been really significant this year:
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=thunder+record+this+season+with+and+without+mike+muscala%2C+net+rating

He might make sense as our stretch center to give Siakam space if we can get him for 2-3M on an exception if we keep Lowry and Birch and want 10-15 minutes a night of stretch 5 play.

Muscala has looked really good this year by...

• net rating
• RPM
• RAPTOR
• RAPM

I like the idea of bringing him in to start. I get that that's...outside the box. But he defends, makes threes, boxes out, etc. Then you have a Birch-Boucher frontcourt coming off the bench. I like having a good stretch-big on the court by default.

But I guess I'd be open to the idea of starting Lowry & Birch and then Muscala is backup center. Boucher-Muscala is a lot of shooting from the frontcourt. Which is not a bad thing. But the idea is to pair shooting with guys who are good at attacking the rim -- hence my obsession with pairing Siakam with shooting. But regardless of the "starter" vs "backup", Siakam-Birch-Boucher-Muscala allows for a lot of mixing and matching that could be effective depending on the situation.

[GLF]

I haven't seen enough to have an eye test opinion but Muscala's impact on the Thunder seems to have been really significant this year:
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=thunder+record+this+season+with+and+without+mike+muscala%2C+net+rating

He might make sense as our stretch center to give Siakam space if we can get him for 2-3M on an exception if we keep Lowry and Birch and want 10-15 minutes a night of stretch 5 play.

Muscala has looked really good this year by...

• net rating
• RPM
• RAPTOR
• RAPM

I like the idea of bringing him in to start. I get that that's...outside the box. But he defends, makes threes, boxes out, etc. Then you have a Birch-Boucher frontcourt coming off the bench. I like having a good stretch-big on the court by default.

But I guess I'd be open to the idea of starting Lowry & Birch and then Muscala is backup center. Boucher-Muscala is a lot of shooting from the frontcourt. Which is not a bad thing. But the idea is to pair shooting with guys who are good at attacking the rim -- hence my obsession with pairing Siakam with shooting. But regardless of the "starter" vs "backup", Siakam-Birch-Boucher-Muscala allows for a lot of mixing and matching that could be effective depending on the situation.

Wait Muscala is a good rebounder and defender? Since when?

[tecumseh18]

I haven't seen enough to have an eye test opinion but Muscala's impact on the Thunder seems to have been really significant this year:
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=thunder+record+this+season+with+and+without+mike+muscala%2C+net+rating

He might make sense as our stretch center to give Siakam space if we can get him for 2-3M on an exception if we keep Lowry and Birch and want 10-15 minutes a night of stretch 5 play.

Muscala has looked really good this year by...

• net rating
• RPM
• RAPTOR
• RAPM

I like the idea of bringing him in to start. I get that that's...outside the box. But he defends, makes threes, boxes out, etc. Then you have a Birch-Boucher frontcourt coming off the bench. I like having a good stretch-big on the court by default.

But I guess I'd be open to the idea of starting Lowry & Birch and then Muscala is backup center. Boucher-Muscala is a lot of shooting from the frontcourt. Which is not a bad thing. But the idea is to pair shooting with guys who are good at attacking the rim -- hence my obsession with pairing Siakam with shooting. But regardless of the "starter" vs "backup", Siakam-Birch-Boucher-Muscala allows for a lot of mixing and matching that could be effective depending on the situation.

I'm just wondering if MM looks good (by those stats) just in comparison to the other Thunder players. I'm not sure how the stats are adjusted to reflect a mediocre player on a terrible team, like Luke Wilson's character in the unbelievably prescient movie "Idiocracy".

[Wannabe MEP]

I haven't seen enough to have an eye test opinion but Muscala's impact on the Thunder seems to have been really significant this year:
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=thunder+record+this+season+with+and+without+mike+muscala%2C+net+rating

He might make sense as our stretch center to give Siakam space if we can get him for 2-3M on an exception if we keep Lowry and Birch and want 10-15 minutes a night of stretch 5 play.

Muscala has looked really good this year by...

• net rating
• RPM
• RAPTOR
• RAPM

I like the idea of bringing him in to start. I get that that's...outside the box. But he defends, makes threes, boxes out, etc. Then you have a Birch-Boucher frontcourt coming off the bench. I like having a good stretch-big on the court by default.

But I guess I'd be open to the idea of starting Lowry & Birch and then Muscala is backup center. Boucher-Muscala is a lot of shooting from the frontcourt. Which is not a bad thing. But the idea is to pair shooting with guys who are good at attacking the rim -- hence my obsession with pairing Siakam with shooting. But regardless of the "starter" vs "backup", Siakam-Birch-Boucher-Muscala allows for a lot of mixing and matching that could be effective depending on the situation.

Wait Muscala is a good rebounder and defender? Since when?

1) Defense is hard to quantify, but both one-year and three-year RAPM suggest that he's a very good defender, as does RAPTOR.

2) The only thing I said about his rebounding is that he boxes out, which is clearly true. I didn't reference this, but I'll say now that his team rebounds well when he's on the court -- clearly better defensive rebounding than overall NBA average.

[Ell Curry]

I wonder how much DeRozan would be asking for TBH... That and if we re-upped lowry + went after Richaun Holmes + Won the draft lottery I know we dont have the salary for all this it's more of a what if scenerio

FVV/Lowry
Cade/GTJ
OG/Derozan
Siakam/Boucher
Holmes/Birch

Hood and Baynes being guaranteeable makes for a pretty easy sign and trade (with say a future 1st or Flynn as a sweetener) for one of Holmes or Demar, but it's tough to see how both is possible unless Demar takes the MLE, and I think it's far more likely he just takes 20M for one year from the Knicks and their massive cap space and goes back on the market next year, or takes the MLE to be a starting guard on the Clippers or Lakers and go back home with a starting job on a proper contender.

Boucher + Baynes for the Spurs for signed and traded Demar (say 36/2 with a player option on the 2nd) and then Hood, Bembry and Flynn and a couple 2nds for a signed and traded Holmes (31/2 with a player option on the 2nd) I suppose could work but yeah seems unlikely.

[Wannabe MEP]

Interesting comparison of some of the names we've mentioned according to 538's RAPTOR:

• This suggests Muscala or Portis might be basically as valuable as Turner or Holmes...but a lot cheaper (and obtainable period).
• Muscala's on/off RAPTOR # there is very high. Suggests he does a lot right on defense, but it doesn't show in the box score stats as much.
• I think Birch's RAPTOR numbers have climbed a lot since he joined Toronto, so this might be higher if he'd been in Toronto all year.

[rapluva]

How about we bring Ibaka back as the starting 5.

Lineup of:

Freddy Van Vleet
Garry Trent Jr.
OG Anunoby
Pascal Siakam
Serge Ibaka

Malachi Flynn
Jalen Harris
Yuta Watanabe
Chris Boucher
Khem Birch

Bembry
Stanimal
Watson
Freddy Gillispie

This team can hang with anyone in the east..

On a side note, we may not get any free agent and might bring Lowry back .

[radeonboy]

Any way to get Kelly Olynyk?

[WaltFrazier]

Any way to get Kelly Olynyk?

If you can't get a true athletic star at C, then a 3 headed C of Olynyk for shooting, plus Birch and Gillespie, would be pretty good.

[mihaic]

What is in the draft besides Mobley? Maybe in the second round, with one of the picks?

Saw some names, I have no clue:
Queta (did not catch him in any NCAA game, I only saw VERY few games this year)
Ibou Dianko Badji - Barcelona
Hukporti - Gerrmany
Petrusev - Serbia

Maybe our development team can bring a C along.

[Indeed]

What is in the draft besides Mobley? Maybe in the second round, with one of the picks?

Saw some names, I have no clue:
Queta (did not catch him in any NCAA game, I only saw VERY few games this year)
Ibou Dianko Badji - Barcelona
Hukporti - Gerrmany
Petrusev - Serbia

Maybe our development team can bring a C along.

I don't think they are better than Gillespie.
Queta maybe less raw and has the size/wingspan to play the backup C.

We are probably developing Gillespie, so I am not sure we need another one.
I think most likely we will acquire one for cheap.

[mihaic]

^^ I hope we can sign Birch.

Maybe the Barca guy has potential? Or the Serbian?

[anotherhomer]

not quite sure about that....he's been out for 30 games with a back injury
https://www.si.com/nba/clippers/news/la-clippers-serge-ibaka-100-percent-return

I have been playing with my back pain since the beginning of the season."

those things don't bold well for the future

How about we bring Ibaka back as the starting 5.

Lineup of:

Freddy Van Vleet
Garry Trent Jr.
OG Anunoby
Pascal Siakam
Serge Ibaka

Malachi Flynn
Jalen Harris
Yuta Watanabe
Chris Boucher
Khem Birch

Bembry
Stanimal
Watson
Freddy Gillispie

This team can hang with anyone in the east..

On a side note, we may not get any free agent and might bring Lowry back .

[VanWest82]

I'd kick the tires on a trade for Derrick Favors. Birch seems better suited to a back up role. Horford would be great if not for his contract. We might have to go big man shopping in Europe.

[Par36]

Allen for 100+ million Cavs?

Sweet Jesus.

[Ell Curry]

I like Jaxson Hayes. I wonder if the Pelicans would see Boucher as a good fit with Zion since he can shoot the 3 and block shots and Zion can just be the big body guarding centers. We'd need to part with something, but maybe they love someone at #7 like Scottie Barnes to fix their defense or Davion Mitchell to be their guard who turns them from a team with talent into a proper team (Mitchell-Ball-Ingram-ZIon looks right to me) and want to move up a spot.

Theis seems like our type of player. Space the floor a bit for Siakam, good mobility defensively for Nurse' aggressive schemes. The Bulls should probably throw another real wing out there to pair with Williams to fully take advantage of the Vucevic/Lavine 2 man game. Seems like he'd be happy to get the full MLE over 2 years.

[Ell Curry]

What is in the draft besides Mobley? Maybe in the second round, with one of the picks?

Saw some names, I have no clue:
Queta (did not catch him in any NCAA game, I only saw VERY few games this year)
Ibou Dianko Badji - Barcelona
Hukporti - Gerrmany
Petrusev - Serbia

Maybe our development team can bring a C along.

I could see us taking Queta with one of the two 2nd rounders. He looked like a proper defensive presence and a decent passer on a terrible team. 7 blocks and 6 assists in his one tourney game and they held Texas Tech to 65, just couldn't score at all. High character guy, went from unknown recruit to a top 10 center in college basketball and may well have been the 2nd best defensive center in college basketball behind Mobley as his team finished 8th on D (opponent adjusted) and the other teams ahead of them or nearby all had actual Div 1 athletes around their center.