Opportunity is knocking. Billy? You there?

[Guest Walter]

It would seem from his past personel moves Billy likes big white stiff centers. Darko is big and white, but the furtherrest thing from a stiff without melonin. 4th highest rated center regarding defensive TENDEX per48.

http://www.dougstats.com/06-07DefensiveTendex.html

At age 22 that means ALOT! For this team that means ALOT! Creating a team that is designed to not only fill its positions favorably but with also enough versatility to matchup with teams in a pinch or exploit a team's matchup problems. Creating a team with solid and in some cases intense defenders across the board, none of them with offensive liabilities! That too means alot.

Right now we are a team that can conceivably lineup small or smaller and small or smaller doesn't contend. Yeah, we could put ZaZa next to Horford in the post for stretches but I cannot see this tandem being particularly effective, certainly not as effective as Darko (3.6 BPG per 48)/Horford.

We've got Horford, let's use him how God intended, at Pf, where he appears to define the position. Let's move JS back to Sf, where he has never had a chance to play given MW's position on the team and where he actually had better numbers save BPG and RPG (82games.com). Let's turn our weakness into a strength. Let's go from small or smaller to big and tall and tough to match up with. Let's go from versatile because we have to be, to versatile because we want to be. Let's get Darko.

Billy? You there?

W

[sturt]

Knowing Billy, would anyone be surprised if he's not taking W's calls???

"...There's no reply at all... no reply at all..."

[DavidSomerset]

LeBron James the 4th best defender in the league, regardless of position??

Uh...no.

However, I would like Milicic.

[Traceman]

as better defenders than Rasheed Wallace and which also has LeBron as the best defensive SF in the NBA is SEVERELY flawed.

[Guest Walter]

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as better defenders than Rasheed Wallace and which also has LeBron as the best defensive SF in the NBA is SEVERELY flawed.

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Do you have problems with the other players in the top 10? Perhaps Lebron does more on defense than you realize. Perhaps, while no system is perfect, this one is correct in every other instance and it's "flaw" if you can even call it that does not impact Milicic's position. I mean come on Trace. Find me another defensive impact stat per48 and I'll post it ALSO. You're just being skeptical to play the skeptic. Nothing constructive here.

W

[DavidSomerset]

It's very difficult to represent how good an individual player is on defense by using statistics.

Where is Bruce Bowen on that list, W??

[TheDude]

although i do feel darko would be a good center for us, signing him would severely hinder our ability to sign our young folks such as josh smith....plus we'd have a glut of big men...

i think we're fine right now....i would try to get a solid veteran off of the bench though(and by solid i mean not LoWright)...

[Guest Walter]

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although i do feel darko would be a good center for us, signing him would severely hinder our ability to sign our young folks such as josh smith....plus we'd have a glut of big men...

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Man would I love to have a glut of big men right now WITH a legit starting center. What a "problem" to have. It would make my year as a fan.

I think signing Darko at $7 million per starting wouldn't hinder us signing the people we can reasonably expect to resign. Look, we're eventually going to have to 2 for 1 or send out players for picks (less than their value because teams will realize our quandry) anyhow as we can't afford the majority of much less all our propsects. We're also going to have send out salary to make any deal work.

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i think we're fine right now....i would try to get a solid veteran off of the bench though (and by solid i mean not LoWright)...

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"Fine" = mediocrity. I'm sure you thought Lo was "solid" last offseason so there are further pitfalls with this approach to mediocrity. And we are only "fine" if Woody-led small ball is what you think makes for a contender.

[AtLaS]

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as better defenders than Rasheed Wallace and which also has LeBron as the best defensive SF in the NBA is SEVERELY flawed.

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I agree about Randolph and Dirk, but LeBron is actually a pretty good defender. He's so underrated it's scary.

[AHF]

I am also a lot skeptical on their top defensive SGs. When your top 10 (per 48) includes Brent Barry and Ray Allen, I have to question the significance of the numbers.