Decision Tree Branches Regarding Horford

[Diesel]

I can't understand why everyone has written Zaza off so quickly? I think a rotation of Zaza and Shelden at the 5 is the trick. I also think that Horford is a 4 and that's prolly his best position.

Aren't you tired of this musical chair of position with no regard to skillset?? There's only one reason for it. THE MISTAKE.

[txsting]

Good post. I don't see it as an either/or like you do. I see Horford as a real 4/5. Some nights, in some matchups, we'll be better off with him at the 4. Other times, he'll be a better fit at 5. All of which tells me that we need some help for those nights that he can't match up with the opposing C. So I would say we might not need that dominant C any longer, but perhaps just one who can hold his own defensively and on the boards. Diop or similar would be ideal. If Lo was just a little better or younger we could make do.

Before I lock that opinion in, I'll have to see a little of Horford in some real games. But that's my feeling right now just based on the summer league action and Horford's size.

[atlien]

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Agreed Horford is gifted. He has the mean/ nasty streak in him you love to see in a big man while still having very good atheltic ability to capitialize and maximize that mean strak he possesses.

So many bigs either have a mean streak with no skill (ZaZa, Pryzbilla), or athletic ability with no mean streak (Curry, , J. O'Niel, Gasol, Aldridge, ect.

Horford has them both. To me that is more important then if he is 6'10'' or 6'11''.

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You know, that's prolly the best summary of Horford's value I have seen yet. Nicely said.

[AtLaS]

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Sure. We just need to hope that

1 Horford becomes 1st team All-NBA

2 We get an MVP pg

3 We get a coach who is committed to an uptempo system

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He doesn't have to become "1st team All-NBA" to justify him as a legit center. And Amare was well on his way to dominating before Nash arrived. Amare puts up IDENTICAL numbers when Nash is out. BTW I don't think most would agree that Amare was a legit 1st team all-NBA'er, because there are plenty of player's I'd take over him.

And Dochawk's comment was more in reference to Amare's size and athleticism as justification of Horford playing C.

[exodus]

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Agreed Horford is gifted. He has the mean/ nasty streak in him you love to see in a big man while still having very good atheltic ability to capitialize and maximize that mean strak he possesses.

So many bigs either have a mean streak with no skill (ZaZa, Pryzbilla), or athletic ability with no mean streak (Curry, , J. O'Niel, Gasol, Aldridge, ect.

Horford has them both. To me that is more important then if he is 6'10'' or 6'11''.

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You know, that's prolly the best summary of Horford's value I have seen yet. Nicely said.

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It is also homerific. Trying to compare Horford (who has yet to play a game in the pros) favorably against 7 foot All-Stars like JO and Gasol is ridiculous. And i would take Aldridge over Horford in a heartbeat (so would BK most likely).

Will see how Horford's "mean streak" holds up when he goes up against bigger players night in and night out.

[coachx]

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as long as players like amare stoudamire succeed in the league at the center position, then i have no problems with horford playing center.

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Sure. We just need to hope that

1 Horford becomes 1st team All-NBA

2 We get an MVP pg

3 We get a coach who is committed to an uptempo system

Then we can lose in the conference finals, just like the Suns.

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I'd piss my pants and be happy going to bed whith wet underwear if we made a trip to the Conference Finals.

[exodus]

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as long as players like amare stoudamire succeed in the league at the center position, then i have no problems with horford playing center.

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Sure. We just need to hope that

1 Horford becomes 1st team All-NBA

2 We get an MVP pg

3 We get a coach who is committed to an uptempo system

Then we can lose in the conference finals, just like the Suns.

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I'd piss my pants and be happy going to bed whith wet underwear if we made a trip to the Conference Finals.

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YOu aren't getting it.

Only two guys (out of 30) are successful starting centers at Horfords size. That is 7%. Add to that the facts that both of them are athletic freaks and multiple All-Stars and the prospects for success with Horford starting at C get dimmer.

Not to mention that the Suns team/system is tailor made for an undersized center. Ours isn't to say the least.

You guys want to pin your hopes on the 7% while ignoring the 93% of teams who have decided to go with bigger centers. There is NO logical basis for that.

[atlien]

lol, I agree with you too.

My only point was that, if Horford is to excel, it will be because of the reasons given above. It is definitely not assured that that will happen.

[pimp]

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Not to mention that the Suns team/system is tailor made for an undersized center. Ours isn't to say the least.

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Mike Woodson doesn't have a "system", so the Horford experiment might work out.

[mrhonline]

Carlos Boozer, Emeka Okafor, and Al Jefferson are three guys who might be more effective at PF, but play some center for their teams.

I'm too lazy (and busy, for a change) to think of more.

[coachx]

Its all good Ex.

All we can do is agree to disagree until we see him on the floor vs. bigger guys. We will see if Horford has enough athelticsm and motor to not only compete with bigger players but to get the best of them.

I think he has it in him.

I agree he is no Ben Wallace (one of a kind)

I agree he is no Stoudamire (again one of a kind)

I think Horford will be similar to an Antonio Davis like center when he was in his prime. Horford is a more fluid athelete then was Davis and that should allow him to have a little more success on the offensive end and help more in transition defense. (The guy runs as well )

I don't expect Horford to dominate the league but I do expect him to be a border line all star in his prime years. Antonio Davis made a couple of all star teams if I remember correctly and I think Horford has the potential to be a bit better then Davis, who was a fine player in his own right.

[exodus]

Boozer plays hardly any center.

Jefferson and Okafor are bigger and much longer than Horford.

http://www.draftexpress.com/measurements.p...ft=15&sort=

[atlien]

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Boozer plays hardly any center.

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It may not say it on the stat sheet, but Boozer's role is definitely center in Utah (even if Okur technically gets the designation). It's Boozer who is doing all the inside stuff.

In fact, Boozer might be Horford's best comparison.

[exodus]

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It's Boozer who is doing all the inside stuff.

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On offense. Defensively....no.

[DJlaysitup]

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...Sure. We just need to hope that

1 Horford becomes 1st team All-NBA

2 We get an MVP pg

3 We get a coach who is committed to an uptempo system

Then we can lose in the conference finals, just like the Suns.

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Without that crook of a referee there to fix the game like he did to PHX, we might win

[exodus]

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In fact, Boozer might be Horford's best comparison.

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Boozer at the combine

http://www.draftexpress.com/measurements.p...draft=100&sort=

258 pounds with a 9'1.5" standing reach. Again much bigger and longer than Horford.

And Boozer played only 7% of Utah's center minutes.

[atlien]

I'd still gladly take Boozer as our center though (and I can definitely think of numerous occasions where Boozer guarded the opposing 5).

I guess at this point we just gotta wait and see how Horford plays out on the court.

[killa3312]

Boozer needs that length, because he's 6'8 at best.

Horford is a PF through and through, but he's also, of all the players on the roster, the best equipped to defend opposing centers. You have to work with what you've got.

[gsuteke]

Well.......

maybe Acie Law will work out and we'll have 4 of 5 positions filled this year.

hey, it's a step in the right direction atleast.

LOL

[Traceman]

Assuming that Horford can't play a lot of Center (I think he can and will), is he a better PF than Josh Smith good? Is he perennial All Star good? If he is, then you play him at PF and figure out what to do with Smoove. If he's not, then he gets backup minutes at PF and Center while Zaza or Shelden starts at Center alongside Smoove. Most likely, Shelden, Zaza or Horford become trade bait at some point.