Bill Simmons NBA Trade Value Rankings 2009

[Guest]

#7 - Medium Z is one of the best rebounding and scoring backup 5's in the league ... but his defense is pretty weak.

Z's defense is way better than you give him credit for. I don't think it is a coincidence that his on the defensive end, our teams allows 7.1 less points per 100 possessions with Z in the game. ( http://www.82games.com/0809/08ATL14.HTM#onoff ). I am not calling him a world beater, but I don't think you can claim his defense is weak. He is certainly our most improved defender this year.

[bronnt]

Z's defense is way better than you give him credit for. I don't think it is a coincidence that his on the defensive end, our teams allows 7.1 less points per 100 possessions with Z in the game. ( http://www.82games.com/0809/08ATL14.HTM#onoff ). I am not calling him a world beater, but I don't think you can claim his defense is weak. He is certainly our most improved defender this year.

And the 7.1 differential is tops on the team (not counting Thomas Gardner, who has played enough minutes for statistical purposes). Straight on/off numbers say he's the best defensive player on the team.

Not that you can just go off of straight +/- numbers because a good deal of his difference comes from those times when he's the only true center available, and the other team's center is busy abusing Solo or Marvin or whoever is on the floor trying to guard him. But even if you assume his efficiency numbers are padded, you still need to recognize that he's play solid interior defense. It's not flashy, and he mostly only shows up when he's committing fouls or getting abused, but he's very solid most of the time. His defense has really gotten a bad rap around here, mostly due to last season when he was forcing things while playing hurt for a much of the season.

I'm at least partly convinced that if he wasn't hurt beginning last season he'd still be the starting center for this team. Coach Woodson tried to force him back into the starting role, despite how well Horford performed in that role during his absence, and despite the fact that Zaza still didn't have his legs back. Horford just played so well that it gave Woody no choice, and Zaza's seeming lackadaisical play but him in the infamous doghouse for the entire season until the playoffs started. That's the only way to get Woody to change his rotation-get into his doghouse.

[DrReality]

Don't put much stock in what he says. I'd actually like to know what folks in the NBA think Marvin is worth?

[Guest]

I'm at least partly convinced that if he wasn't hurt beginning last season he'd still be the starting center for this team. Coach Woodson tried to force him back into the starting role, despite how well Horford performed in that role during his absence, and despite the fact that Zaza still didn't have his legs back. Horford just played so well that it gave Woody no choice, and Zaza's seeming lackadaisical play but him in the infamous doghouse for the entire season until the playoffs started. That's the only way to get Woody to change his rotation-get into his doghouse.

I think that is fair to say. Woodson doesn't like to start rookies right off the bat. If Z doesn't get injured, then we don't see as much Horford. Maybe that was a good thing? Either way, I think a lot of Z's downplay last year stemmed from injuries and trying to adjust to a new role. I don't think some of the posters here agree with that, Z seems to get pushed aside fairly easily whenever people talk about good spots on our team.