Why Is Zaza Pachulia free from blame?

[BusBoyIsBack]

Everyone is so quick to bash Shelden Williams or Marvin Williams. Josh CHildress or even Josh Smith share it as well.

But one name that never gets mentioned in Zaza Pachulia.

What wins titles in this league is defense and rebounding and quite frankly Zaza is average at best at those two things. In fact I think saying he's average at those things is being nice.

Sure he can tip the ball to himself to pad his stats on offense, and he makes the occasional nice spin move on offense or drive to the basket. But he's still a turnover machine and he isn't a big enough threat on offense to make up for being a defensive liability.

I mean he's getting schooled by Mike DUnleavy out of all people.

I say he's the worst starter on the team.

[AHF]

He has been bashed hard in the past. I think people have accepted him as being limited but a good deal for his contract and just don't have the expectations that are placed on our other young players.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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He has been bashed hard in the past. I think people have accepted him as being limited but a good deal for his contract and just don't have the expectations that are placed on our other young players.

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Still but how can people say that Shelden is a bum on defense when he's 10 times the defender Zaza Pachulia is?

This game is a perfect example.

[JJJ]

Just like Harrington. I HATE Zaza. He is the worst defender in the entire Frickin' league.

Shell comes in at C, no more layops... 3 or 4 min later Z comes in and the layup drill starts over again. Z SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woody KILLS Shell for 1 defensive laps, yet he plays Z through A TON of them every game

[BusBoyIsBack]

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Just like Harrington. I HATE Zaza. He is the worst defender in the entire Frickin' league.

Shell comes in at C, no more layops... 3 or 4 min later Z comes in and the layup drill starts over again. Z SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woody KILLS Shell for 1 defensive laps, yet he plays Z through A TON of them every game

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At least Harrington was a scorer.

Zaza is a turnover machine.

We all thought he was a steal when we got him. But now we're starting to see the warts.

Not starting material at all.

[JJJ]

Z isnt even playing material...He should be the 3rd C at best on an NBA team.

[AHF]

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He has been bashed hard in the past. I think people have accepted him as being limited but a good deal for his contract and just don't have the expectations that are placed on our other young players.

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Still but how can people say that Shelden is a bum on defense when he's 10 times the defender Zaza Pachulia is?

This game is a perfect example.

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I think it is still a matter of expectations. Shelden was a two time DPOY in college. Zaza is not expected to impact the team much defensively (at least positively). Shelden required the use of a top 5 draft pick and meant we passed on foreseeable stud Brandon Roy, among other. Zaza was a FA signing that required nothing more than $4M/year.

Zaza has been beaten up in the past around here but won't take the same abuse as a top 5 pick whose contribution was supposed to be defense in the post.

[JJJ]

When Shell got his one chance to play JO in the post tonight, he didnt give up a hoop...Looked 1003294503245 times better than Z.

[Sothron]

Zaza is a decent backup big man, nothing more, nothing less. Shellhead was the most "NBA ready big man" in the draft and was the #5 pick in the draft.

I don't expect the tuna I buy in a can to taste the same as the Alaska baked salmon.

[Guest Walter]

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Everyone is so quick to bash...But one name that never gets mentioned in Zaza Pachulia.

What wins titles in this league is defense and rebounding and quite frankly Zaza is average at best at those two things. In fact I think saying he's average at those things is being nice.

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But in another post you sight SJ as our savior at center and hinge our franchise hopes on him. Do you not get just how incongruent this is?

"The center position is just god-awful and we can't win without significantly improving it...let's bet our future on a 2nd rder at center."

Huh?

W

[BusBoyIsBack]

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But in another post you sight SJ as our savior at center and hinge our franchise hopes on him. Do you not get just how incongruent this is?

"The center position is just god-awful and we can't win without significantly improving it...let's bet our future on a 2nd rder at center."

Huh?

W

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How incongruent is it?

I think Solomon should start over Zaza because what he brings to the table defensively. You look at the fact that he's a 2nd round pick. I look at the fact that he's a kid with a 7'4 wing span and 40 inch vert.

Sure maybe he couldn't drop 23 like Zaza did tonight, but I guarantee you he wouldn't give up as many points in the paint.

Solomon Jones was a shot blocking and rebounding machine in college. He was tops among both of those categories in the BIG EAST. The problem is he played for the worst team in that conference which is why he had no publicity. If he played for UConn and accomplished those things he would have gone where Hilton Armstrong went.

If he can put up 30 pounds I don't see any reason why he couldn't be our C of the future.

[Colin]

How can you still think Solomon should be starting over Zaza rigtht now?

Zaza played the best defense that I have seen him play all year. He didn't give up any easy baskets in the lane, and he poked away everything that came inside.

11-12 shooting, and a stellar defensive effort, and you are still riding Solomon's genitals over Zaza?

I don't see your logic.

[exodus]

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and you are still riding Solomon's genitals over Zaza?

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LOL nice first post. You'll fit right in here.

[lunar]

solomon needs to prove that he can be a solid backup before he can be a starter.

[TheDude]

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He has been bashed hard in the past. I think people have accepted him as being limited but a good deal for his contract and just don't have the expectations that are placed on our other young players.

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Still but how can people say that Shelden is a bum on defense when he's 10 times the defender Zaza Pachulia is?

This game is a perfect example.

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because his offense is 10 times that of Shelden....zaza is better than MOST centers in the league offensively and his defense is lacking due to a lack of quickness and athletic ability...quickness and athelitic ability are mostly natural talent so i can't bash him too much for that..but we need to keep him just because he can score in the post...

[Johnnybravo4]

I think Zaza is damn athletic. You don't do those dipsy doo plays he does without athleticism. He just doesn't have elite level athleticism.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Zaza certainly has some athleticism.

Im very proud of his production in the last few games offensively. And from what I hear he turned it on defensively in the last game.

If that's the case, then he really shouldn't be free from blame because that means he's been holding back on us effort wise.

I understand that some players have high expectations because of where they are drafted but the fact still remains ZAZA IS A STARTER.

And a STARTER should be held to a higher standard than Zaza is being held to.

I understand that Marvin and Shelden need to step up their game. So does Childress and Smoove, but never do I ever hear anyone mention Zaza.

He just gets a free pass. That's all Im saying.

Why can't we challenge Zaza to give a friggin effort defensively every night instead of bashing Shelden who actually tries defensively every night?

Shelden receives so much blame but is he really the reason why we give up so many points in the paint every night? Or is he more of the solution than the problem?