Josh Smith this month

[exodus]

So far this month Smith is averaging

13 pts (51% shooting)

8.6 rebounds

3.9 assists

2.6 blocks

1.6 steals

Sure he has things to work on. Some would like him to stop shooting outside altogether but I am not in that camp. I think he can be an effective outside shooter in time if he takes good shots. Plus the threat of the outside shot will open up drives for him.

I really don't like seeing him leading the break. I have no idea why he is allowed to do this. He also needs to cut down his turnovers overall.

He has been playing better man D as well. I haven't seen him getting beat off the dribble as much lately.

[KB21]

14 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.8 SPG, 2.2 TOPG, 3.0 BPG, 53.2% FG, 31.3% 3P, 59.1% FT

I believe that Josh and Marvin compliment each other very well. Josh's numbers have picked up since he is playing more power forward than small forward.

[Nicholasp27]

yeah, smoove has 10.1 better +/- when playing pf than sf this year

[vdunkndunk]

I'm really liking the way Marvin and Josh look together...they compliment eachother well in a lot of ways. I like Josh Smith a lot better at PF than I liked Harrington.

[DrReality]

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I'm really liking the way Marvin and Josh look together...they compliment eachother well in a lot of ways. I like Josh Smith a lot better at PF than I liked Harrington.

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That's not saying much. But Josh is more of a complete player now than Al ever was. His non-scoring stats are very respectable. I found it interesting the other night when STeve Smith made a big deal out of the fact that Smoove was finishing drives with lay ups. Not having to slam it every time. Good point that helps him finish or be able to dish.

[Guest Walter]

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14 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.8 SPG, 2.2 TOPG, 3.0 BPG, 53.2% FG, 31.3% 3P, 59.1% FT

I believe that Josh and Marvin compliment each other very well. Josh's numbers have picked up since he is playing more power forward than small forward.

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Our best (meaning requiring us making the fewest - each of them unlikely - moves) chance at title contention involved somehow making JS and MW as the starting 3 and 4 work. That required getting a center who does not conceed the post despite the absence of a true Pf and who as a result allows MW and JS to play their primarily perimeter games. Thus, forcing the opposition to play to our strengths while not conceeding to theirs, particularly the more efficient interior.

That 5th pick was the last of our lottery picks, Al Harrington was a great trade commodity, and our cap space was the highest it was going to be for a long LONG time. Yet our greatest asset, our draft pick, is used to get a role player that will either sit the bench or bench greater talent (JS) in order to remain more prototypical at the PF position.

I love JS and MW playing well together even in a small sample, but it wasn't all that hard to predict they would play well together as their games compliment each other and frankly the drafting of SW was a short sighted error that demonstrates BK couldn't see the far greater potential of a MW/JS starting lineup with (or arguably without, thought IMO not to the level of title contention) the right center prospect (which was staring him in the face).

In a perfect world we get a role playing Pf with our 5th pick A-N-D a Pg prospect A-N-D a center prospect. It isn't a perfect world. Do I draft ONLY a role playing Pf with MW and JS there? No. Do I promise that Pf with a month to go before the draft, no one tried out, and many deals that would otherwise be discussed? NO!

I love seeing JS and MW playing well together. However, it begs the question? Why SW at all? Why him with the last lottery pick we should have for 10 years? Why a promise? Why no deals possible? Why no Pg prospect? Why not center prospect? And of course, having created an even worse 6'8" bottle neck with holes at Pg and C remaining for 3 years and less currency remaining, what next?

W

[AtLaS]

I don't know about Sene, but I would have definately made an offer to trade up ONE spot to get Aldridge.. He looked great against us. Very athletic and will be a good defender and shotblocker in this league.

[Nicholasp27]

shelden does better at center thus far this year than pf

a lineup of speedy/jj/marvin/smoove/shelden with chill/zaza off the bench can work

of course, in a few years, substitute speedy for our new pg that we acquire at some point

[Guest Walter]

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I don't know about Sene, but I would have definately made an offer to trade up ONE spot to get Aldridge.. He looked great against us. Very athletic and will be a good defender and shotblocker in this league.

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Moves for Bynum (my preference), Sene (or one of Seattles other 2 young centers, though not my preference), Pryz in FAcy, David Anderson (better than Lo), trade up for Aldridge.

When you have a 5th overall pick, cap space, Al, and extra young talent to trade you have to be able to work something that serves well your team out. You can't settle for SW a month before the draft and cost yourself any opportunity at a trade. What about #5 pick/ZaZa or Childress for Okafor/Brevin Knight? I'm not saying any one deal would be likely but amongst all the possible deals there is a likelihood. I know we didn't try hard enough because the ridiculous promise to SW declared an end to trying.

W

[Guest Walter]

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a lineup of speedy/jj/marvin/smoove/shelden with chill/zaza off the bench can work

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That's simply an embarrassing argument, "can" suggests you don't even believe such a lineup "will", and one doesn't trust their future to a front line of Sf, Sf, Pf E-V-E-R!

Get real! How can anyone take this seriously.

W

[Diesel]

It's evident that you don't watch the games...

But to answer your question...

Why did we draft a PF... Because we needed one. Even with his wonderful stats, Smoove does nothing defensively to stop opposing Pfs. He is usually overmatched based on technique and desire when it comes to defense. Smoove does better blocking shots from behind.

All the guys who you are calling out... are either not available or not better than Shelden.

Come out of bizzarro world and back to reality. The reality is that Shelden was picked because we needed him..

[Nicholasp27]

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a lineup of speedy/jj/marvin/smoove/shelden with chill/zaza off the bench can work

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That's simply an embarrassing argument, "can" suggests you don't even believe such a lineup "will", and one doesn't trust their future to a front line of Sf, Sf, Pf E-V-E-R!

Get real! How can anyone take this seriously.

W

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can indicates that i'm not sure if the coach will do that...i would...but i don't make the decisions

i stand by my opinion that it would work if they would try it

thus it can work, but i can't say will work since it may never happen

p.s. get over yourself

[MoonKnight]

I was at the Bulls game and have attended other games this year as well and clearly Shelden can play alot of 5. In fact I wish he would play more 5 and thought he played very well against the Bulls. Against most teams Shelden would not hurt us playing the 5 at all.

[TheDude]

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a lineup of speedy/jj/marvin/smoove/shelden with chill/zaza off the bench can work

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That's simply an embarrassing argument, "can" suggests you don't even believe such a lineup "will", and one doesn't trust their future to a front line of Sf, Sf, Pf E-V-E-R!

Get real! How can anyone take this seriously.

W

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what's embarassing is using every thread to make an argument against drafting Shelden.

[Duff_Man]

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a lineup of speedy/jj/marvin/smoove/shelden with chill/zaza off the bench can work

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That's simply an embarrassing argument, "can" suggests you don't even believe such a lineup "will", and one doesn't trust their future to a front line of Sf, Sf, Pf E-V-E-R!

Get real! How can anyone take this seriously.

W

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what's embarassing is using every thread to make an argument against drafting Shelden.

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Agenda alert: Bright yellow.

[Nicholasp27]

not only do we have the denver game and other time watching him at center to back up what we feel about shelden playing center, but we also have that his +/- at center is 26(!) better than at pf

mw/js/sw can get 25-30 reb/game combined in due time

they can all defend and help defend and gather blocks

sure they are all 6-9, but marvin is on perimeter and is athletic, smoove can jump high enough to compensate for giving up 1-2" to his opponent and shelden is strong enough (see ben wallace) to compensate for his lack of height

[gutz]

I totally agree I would rather have Shelden starting at Center along with Smoove and Marvin at the forward spots.

[Diesel]

" 2 adjacent undersized post playrs = no title ever"

-Walter.

I'm surprised that this statement has been allowed to fly for so long???

As I have always said.. The NBA goes in cycles... There was a cycle when Big men were hard to find and winning without an "acceptable" big was the norm...

Some teams without bigs..

1. 1975 Golden State Warriors.

Walter, they won a championship. Their big man was the guy I would like here as an assistant (Clifford Ray). He's 6'9".

2. 1976 Boston Celtics

Who could forget the Boston Celtics with Dave Cowens and Paul Silas? Silas is only 6'7".

3. 1978 Washington Wizard

Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes anybody?

During the 70's of NBA basketball, the NBA adopted the philosophy of the ABA because of the lack of Big men. The ABA believed that you could win without Big men and they proved it. Hell, Back in the day, George McGinnis played Center for the Pacers. McGinnis was about 6'6"... maybe taller but he would be a SG now.

The point is that winning without bigs have been done. It requires an embrace of a speed game with scoring on the wings. We can do that.

The typical way to a championship has been with a big and shooters... That is why people were happy to see Patrick Ewing, Hakeem, Admiral, and those guys when the league was thirsty for new bigs... However, now, the league is in the need of bigs again, and even though bigs are coming, the speedy game can be successful (as before)...

[Iman]

I dont like Zaza much as a player, but I'd still start him until we sign a better center. You could start Shelden against some centers but I like refining roles and changing starters based on matchups go against that. I would like to see Shelden as the first man off the bench. Sub him for whichever frontcourt player is having problems, just screwed up, etc, preferably usually Zaza. Then you have Chillz to bring in for the SF and slide him to SG a few mins as JJ rests.

[frosgrim]

Add the Bulls when they had Rodman as well. Pipen and Rodman both were around 6'8". Rodman just could out-rebound anyone because of his tenacity and great positioning. If I was coaching Smoove, I would have him watching how Rodman used to get inside on everyone and box them out.